The Three Sided Sphinx
by Ellen Tee
Summary: Edward Elric gets a new assignment from Brigadier General Mustang. Apparently a chimera is on the loose and is attacking the people of Central City. It's Edward's job to kill it. But there's an ancient secret that even the military doesn't know about.
1. New Assignment

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist! If I did, I would have the movie translated in every language so that the world didn't suffer anymore!

My second fanficiton ever! Enjoy!

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There is an Earthly fable about a thing call a sphinx. It has the body of a lion, long, golden mane, dagger-like claws, and a playful tail. But it has the face of a woman, beautiful and mysterious.

The story is that a king was told by a prophet that his on would murder him, so the king sent his son to a shepherd to be killed. The shepherd pitied the child, and raised him as his own. The shepherd named the boy Oedipus.

Oedipus became a hero for many good deeds. His most famous, was destroying the sphinx that was attacking a village. The sphinx gave Oedipus the riddle 'what has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three in the evening?'

Oedipus answered 'a man. He crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as a man, and leans on a cane and his own two legs as an old man.'

Of course, Oedipus was correct and the sphinx supposedly died. Some say it ate itself. Others say it starved. But what if the sphinx didn't died? You never know…

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A large suit of armor stood with a kitten cradled in its arms. The kitten was rubbing against the giant suit of armor affectionately, giving a soft purr.

Behind the armor stood a teenager. His arms were crossed and his face was all frowning, but his eyes were sad and gentle. They were an unusual shade of gold, making him seem very distant.

The blonde-haired boy spoke to the suit of armor kindly, but sternly. "Come on, Al. We can't take care of this cat. I don't like being the villain here, but someone has to."

The armor said, almost in a sob, "No you don't, Big Brother! We could all just be heroes. Not villains."

"I'm sorry, Al. Just put the cat down."

"It's only a k-k-kitten!"

"Al! Be reasonable! We can't take any dumb animals with us!"

The suit of armor made a wailing noise, forcing the blonde to cover his ears. He groaned. Why did Alphonse have to like animals so much?

"Br-brother! You know what it's like having to put a stray back!"

"Yeah. But I was stupid for wanting to take in every animal, Al."

The armor started to make crying noises again, making the blonde bang his head against the wall. It began to drizzle, causing the blonde to sigh.

The two were in an alleyway. Al had dragged him in there because he said that he had heard a cry for help. The blonde teenager would have never guessed it was a cat's cry for help. But as Alphonse's brother, it was his duty to be patient and understanding.

"Alphonse! Put the damn cat back and let's go!"

The suit of armor was about to run away when a little girl rapped his metal. She looked only six years old. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she seemed very melancholy.

"'Scuse me. I'm looking for Mr. Duffles. Have you seen him?"

The suit of armor spoke to the girl gently. "What does Mr. Duffles look like?"

"He's only a baby. He has brown fur with white socks."

The teenager gaped at the little girl and yelled, "Number one, how did a baby run away, and number two, what kind of baby has brown fur!"

The girl giggled a little and said, "No, silly. Mr. Duffles is a kitty!"

Alphonse looked down at the kitten cradled in his arms. It had tawny fur with white paws. It looked exactly like this Mr. Duffles.

Alphonse nudged the blonde. "Hey, Edward."

"Yeah."

"I think the stray _is_ Mr. Duffles."

"That's wonderful! We can help this girl and get rid of the cat all in one foul swoop."

Alphonse turned to the little girl, displaying the kitten. It mewed softly.

"Mr. Duffles!"

Edward grinned. "Great. You found your cat, Alphonse doesn't have one anymore. I'm happy. Let's go Al."

"Coming."

Edward and Alphonse Elric walked out of the dim ally and out onto the sidewalk. The cobblestone street was busy with hurrying automobiles, sending sprays of dirty water onto the sidewalk. Edward began pulling out some change as they passed a hotdog stand.

"Brother, you'll spoil your appetite."

"So what. All they serve at the mess hall is beans, soup, and milk."

"It's free, though"

"Yeah, and so is water. Yet we pay for plumbing to get not free water."

The woman manning the hotdog stand lazily handed Edward his hotdog and change. The food was soggy from the rain, but Edward's stomach didn't care. He downed the dog in two bites. Then the two continued walking.

"I suppose I should hurry back to report to Mustang, right Al?"

Alphonse looked away. He seemed lost in thought. Or maybe he just down from the because of the rain. Ed placed his arm on Alphonse's shoulder.

"What's wrong, Al?"

"Nothing. Well, I'm just a little sad that our last lead on the Philosopher's Stone was a dead-end. I was really hoping-."

"Don't worry! I promised to return you to your body, and no obstacle will get in my way. For too long, at least."

The suit of armor seemed to cheer up. Or maybe it was just because the sun came out. Edward didn't know.

It was a strange sight, seeing the sun out while it rained. It both gave you hope and took it away. It chilled you and warmed you at the same time.

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The office Edward sat in was very nice. It was just missing a homely touch. The tile on the floor was glossy and there was a red rug in the middle. Around the rug sat two couches and a desk with a leather chair behind it. It was very nice. Maybe it was just the man sitting in the chair that fouled everything up.

"So, Edward, where's the written report?"

"Right here, sir. It's a little soggy, but I think that you'll get over it."

"Can't you keep anything dry or safe, Elric?"

"Sorry, sir, but it was raining!"

"I guess rain would inconvenience the keeping dry of papers."

Edward nodded, restraining himself from tackling the man in the chair. He had always wanted to hurt the man, but he never worked up the courage to do so. Instead, Edward released his anger in small bouts when people called him short.

"So, Mustang, do I have a new mission?"

"That's Brigadier General Mustang, Fullmetal!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"And yes, you do have a new assignment. But I don't know if a shorty like you can handle it."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT CAN'T EVEN GET A NEW ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE HE CAN'T BE SEEN OVER A DESK!"

"Calm down. I never said that. And if you want your new mission-."

"Fine."

"Anyways, some bodies have been appearing around the outskirts of Central."

"Any patterns?"

"No. Except for the killing method. It looks like a giant animal has been eating the victims. That's why I'm giving you the case instead of crime investigations. I don't think it's been murder at all. I think it's been a loose chimera attacking. And I want you to put an end to it, whatever _it_ is."

"You want me to kill it?"

"Yeah, isn't that what I said?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, Fullmetal?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Your fly's down."

Edward turned a bright shade of red and reached down to zip his pants. But he found they were already zipped. He turned to Mustang.

"You freak. You're a sick liar!"

"You're dismissed, Fullmetal."

"Asshole!"

Edward stalked out of Roy Mustang's office. Alphonse was waiting patiently outside. He jogged to catch up with Ed, asking in a childish voice, "How'd it go, Big Brother? Do you have a new assignment? What is it?"

"Mustang's an asshole!"

Al chuckled a little. "Brother, you've already told me that!"

Edward slowed down for his little brother, sighing. He was much stressed, and didn't need Al's constant questioning. Ed turned to his brother, putting on a fake smile.

"Yeah, I got a new assignment. This one sounds exciting, too."

"Good. You have something to be happy about, Big Brother."

"Yeah. Apparently these bodies have been turning up on the fringes of the city. Mustang said they looked half-eaten."

"A cannibal?"

"No, a chimera. Here are is the folder with all of the information."

Alphonse took the folder in his hands, bending the pages so that no passing military personnel could see. The papers had pictures of corpses that looked ripped limb from limb. Alphonse replaced the information in its folder.

"Big Brother, this is probably dangerous."

Ed nodded eagerly, his bangs bouncing up and down. He gave a thumbs-up sign to his brother. He grinned, and said, "I know! It's way better than inspections!"

Alphonse sighed and the pair kept walking. They reached the wooden door, pushed them open and stepped out into the light. The rain had stopped, making everything smell clean. Edward gave Alphonse a playful punch.

"Al, you gotta stop worrying about me."

"If I don't, who will?"

"I'm the older brother. I can look out for myself."

Edward saw Al's sad look and quickly recovered.

"But you can look out for me too if you want. Just don't act like a parent, okay? We're brothers. We gotta have fun while we're young enough to."

Alphonse laughed and the two continued down the steps, light-hearted and happy. Ed playfully shoved Al and Alphonse shoved back a little too hard, sending Edward flying into the bushes.

The blonde picked himself up, pulling twigs out of his hair. Alphonse was on the ground, laughing. Edward grew angry and threw a rock at the suit of armor.

"Very funny."

"I'm sorry, Big Brother. You're just so light weight and small-."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU CAN THROW THEM INTO BUSHES AND ANYWHERE ELSE YOU WANT TOO!"

"I didn't say that, Big Brother."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's go, Al."

The duo made their way through the crowded sidewalks of Central city, discussing how to find and kill the chimera. Alphonse suggested that they train it and keep it as a pet. After Edward shunned the idea, Alphonse suggested separating the two animals and freeing them. Ed reminded Al of Nina Tucker and the two grew quiet.

As they walked, they passed many different people. A beggar, a mother with two babies, an old man leaning on a cane. They were all going places. They were all living, breathing. Nina had done all of that. But no more. She was dead, gone for good. Mr. Tucker had made the poor girl into a chimera, and then Scar had deconstructed her using alchemy. Nina was gone.

Edward simply said to Alphonse, "We'll get some bait at the butcher's, lure it, cage it, kill it."

Depressing gray clouds moved in to block the sun, dampening Edward's and Alphonse's spirits. It began to drizzle again and everyone seemed to hurry to their destinations, seeking to get out of the rain. Ed and Al did the exact opposite. They seemed to slow down, trudging with their heads' down.

Edward felt someone slam against his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He clutched his belly, looking up at the person who whacked him.

He saw the back of a woman. She had dirty blonde hair, all the way down to her waist. She was tall and muscular. But what Ed noticed most was that her plain white dress was soaked with blood.

Edward managed to groan, "Miss? Are you alright?"

The woman turned and looked straight at him. Her eyes were golden, just like his. But they had long, thin pupils in the center. And they seemed to pierce him. Edward couldn't look away from her. Those menacing eyes held him.

Edward stood up all of the way and didn't move any more. His eyes didn't move, his hands didn't move, his lips didn't move. Then, the woman slowly turned and began to walk away. Silently, Edward followed.

Alphonse watched helplessly. He shouted, "Big Brother! Where are you going, Big Brother," but Edward didn't seem to hear him. So, Alphonse followed too.

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Okay, my first chapter! I've had this idea for a while, but I was trying to focus on my other fanfiction. Well, I decided that I would take a little break from it and do a different one. Hope everyone like it, C ya!

**PLEASE R&R! A WRITER LOVES TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE THEIR WORK!**


	2. Only Human

Thank-you for the reviews! I am very pleased! Okay, I've been trying to keep my rambling to a minimum, so I think I'm doing very well! Well, enjoy!

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"Big Brother, wait!"

A giant suit of armor was chasing Edward Elric, shouting for him to stop. For the past five blocks, ordering Ed to halt hadn't worked. Why would it work now? The suit of armor didn't know. But believing that his brother was merely ignoring him was a better thought then... Alphonse didn't know what.

"Where are you going, Big Brother?"

Edward Elric dashed behind a tall brick building, leaving Alphonse alone in the rain. The armor rounded the corner and his brother was nowhere to be found. Al looked around dumbfounded. Where was Ed?

The rain picked up steam. The weather sure had been strange that day. It had been sunny, drizzly, rainy, and raining with the sun out. Now it was pouring. And Alphonse thought he heard a rumble of thunder far off.

"Edward! Stop playing games! There's a chimera on the loose and it's dangerous to be by yourself! Just come out!"

A car passed Alphonse in the street, spraying him with dirty water. The suit of armor put its head down, walking slowly, with mud spattered all over him. Just who was that odd looking woman anyway? And why was she spattered with blood?

Alphonse nearly screamed. "Oh crap! Edward!"

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Edward ran silently, his feet not making a sound. It was a weird feeling; he had no control over his body, yet he didn't object to its actions. He was following the strange woman and he had no idea why. The only thing Edward could see was her beauty. What was her name?

The woman ducked into a hole in the side of an old brick building. The building looked dilapidated and appeared abandoned. It was consumed with mold and rot, but had a quality of mysterious splendor, beckoning anyone to it.

Only now could Edward control his body. He felt a need to go inside, but was able to pull away. Where was he? By the looks of it, he was in the slums of Central City. Had he really wandered so far? And where was that woman?

A few of the ancient red bricks crumbled and out of instinct, Edward turned his automail into a blade. He looked and saw only two rats, perched carefully on a fallen wooden beam.

Edward walked over to the hole in the building. He tried to peek inside, but it was too dark. A rotten, musty smell came over him and he had to pull his head back out.

But soon, curiosity got the better of Edward. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a kerchief, and wrapped it around his mouth and nose, tying it at the back of his head. Though the kerchief wasn't comfortable, it would keep the decaying stench from his nose.

The hole seemed to grow in size, consuming light like a hungry beast. Edward inched forward and the rats scurried off, finding a new hiding place.

Ed cautiously poked his head through, looking for danger. He stood still like that for a few seconds, checking and double-checking that no one would sneak up on him.

"Aw, to hell with it."

Edward threw all caution into the wind and jumped inside of the old building, leaping over the small pile of rubble at the entrance. He regained his bearings and began to tread into the structure.

As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, Edward began to take in his surroundings. The abandoned structure looked like it had served as a home in its previous life. A mansion, no less. There were lavish, moth-eaten furnishings and cob-web covered crystal chandeliers. Two grand stair cases met him in the middle of the room, leading to a second story. There was also a grand piano that had been left open, a music book sitting on the keys. It looked like the people living there had just decided one day to get up, leave, and never come back.

The house had to be hundreds of years old. Maybe even older. The slums of Central City must have been the richest part of town a long time ago. What had happened here?

Edward looked around and saw the woman at the top of the stairs, just watching him. He hadn't heard her come out of any rooms. The blonde managed enough courage to speak.

He shouted, trying to speak softly, "Ma'am? I-I saw you earlier. You looked injured so I followed to see if you were alright. I hope you don't mind me intruding."

The woman just stared at him, not moving from the spot. She seemed ethereal, almost ghost-like. It was probably just the lighting.

All of a sudden, Edward heard a girl laughing behind him. It was not a normal laugh. It sound like five people laughing, but only one person making the noise. He spun with his automail blade in front of him, ready to slice the crap out of whatever was giggling. And what he saw was even more chilling than any specter. What Edward Elric saw… was nothing.

He turned to look at the woman again, expecting to see her there, staring at him, watching him, but she was gone. What had happened here?

Edward felt himself drawn up the rickety staircase. He tried to leave the house, but found he couldn't. Climbing the stairs was inevitable.

The stairs groaned under the weight and threatened to give out. They probably hadn't been used in… since the house was abandoned. Except for the strange woman.

All of Edward's insides were throbbing in time with his heart. Pounding, pounding, pounding. He could feel the sensation throughout his entire body; through his feet and hands and head. Pounding, pounding, pounding.

The top of the staircase loomed ahead. It was foreboding, sending chills down Edward's spine. Pounding, pounding, pound.

Edward finally reached the top and now he started down the hall heading for the last door. He could hear a child singing. It was a pure sound, put for some reason didn't feel right.

Edward leaned against the door, listening. The song stopped abruptly, as if the singer knew someone was eavesdropping. Edward held his breath.

A child's voice filled the hallway. "Curious, boy?"

The noise made Ed jump, and he looked around for the source of the voice. Who was the owner of the creepy voice? Who was taunting him so?

The voice laughed eerily, "If you are so curious as to what's behind the door, than open it. Go on, I won't _bite_."

Silence passed between them. The only noise was the patter of rain on the crumbling roof. That sound was relief. It was an earthly sound, not of heaven or hell. Just of the between.

Edward Elric summoned the courage to open the ancient wooden door. It creaked forward slowly, moaning and groaning.

The expression Ed was wearing was solemn. Whatever was behind that door, it was his duty to deal with it. He flung the door open the rest of the way and saw the woman standing in the middle of the room.

Now that he could get a good look at her face, Edward could see it looked like that of a child's. It was perfect, without blemish. This was no normal being. And her eyes seemed overly feline. Could it be…?

Edward's eyes grew large and he pointed an accusing finger at the woman. "You're the chimera!"

The woman chastised in a soothing voice, "Now why would you think that?"

The blood on the woman's dress stood out, growing, covering the dress. Why hadn't he seen it before? Ed held his blade between himself and whatever that thing was.

The creature piped up, sounding pleased that she'd tricked him. "Come now, Edward. Why would you follow a strange woman into an old building you've never seen before?"

"I- I... I wanted to-."

"Be brave? Kill the _evil_ chimera?"

"No! I-."

"Wanted my boss to pat me on the head, telling me what a good dog I was."

"No! I-."

"Am the tough guy who doesn't need anyone else."

"Shut the hell up!"

The chimera was hushed and watched the boy with mild interest. She seemed to be doing this because she was bored; no other reason. She even seemed bored with this. Maybe that was just the way she was.

The chimera cooed to Edward, "On Earth they named me Sphinx. I was supposedly a devil from the underworld. But that was a few thousand years ago. Lost track on my two thousandth birthday. But here on Amestris, they name me Chimera. What am I, really? A sphinx of Earth, or a chimera of Amestris?"

"Stop speaking in damn riddles!"

"I can't help it. I'm part lion. But the convenient part of being a chimera is that I have special abilities, like that of a lion. And I also have another strange knack."

"What would that be?"

"I can change from human, to lion, to sphinx. I can be all three. Right now, you're seeing my human side."

"A three sided chimera…"

"That's right, boy. And now I have a riddle for you! I absolutely adore riddles! You might not, how ever. Because if you answer wrong, I'll have to eat you. Ready? What had four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? This is the riddle I gave ole' Oedipus. He thought he got rid of me when he answered right, but I only came back to Amestris. Had a little bit of fun as a human, now my sphinx side is hungry for flesh."

With the last words, the chimera went from a human appearance to a body of a lion with a woman's face. Edward jumped back in surprise. He thought that maybe he had gone mad.

"So, if I answer wrong, you'll eat me?"

"Correct."

Edward sat down against the wall thinking. He kept a watchful eye on the golden Sphinx at all times, but concentrated on the riddle. Four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three… four, two, three…

Somewhere in the mansion, a clock struck noon. It gonged twelve times and then lay silent. The Sphinx stood up coming close to Edward. She stood right in front of him. Edward could smell the reeking breath, cringing at the awful stench.

The Sphinx growled, "Time's up. What's your answer, boy?"

Edward clapped his hands and made a cage around the Sphinx, shouting, "My mission is to kill you, not to play games!"

The beast began biting down on the bars. They nearly melted in her mouth. She laughed, "No metal is strong enough to hold me, boy!"

The cage was gone in a matter of seconds. The Sphinx bounded in front of Edward. She roared and pounced ripping at his automail leg. The screech of claws on metal rang throughout the room.

Edward tripped and rolled onto his back, sticking his automail arm up just in time to block five inch teeth from sinking into his head. He heard his metal arm crack in two and saw it land on the floor. Ed pushed himself up, running for the door. Tears streamed down his cheek. It was hopeless.

"Al! Help! Al!"

A part of roof collapsed between the Sphinx and Edward, sending up a cloud of dust. He used it as a diversion and flung the door open and racing down the stairs. He could hear agitated roaring and knew the beast was after him.

The stairs seemed to move farther and farther away, slipping out of grasp. A flash of lightning lit up the hallway and illuminated the Sphinx slowly walking towards Edward. He was frozen to the spot, too scared to move.

"You can't escape, boy. Just hold still and I promise to go for your neck first."

Edward regained his will to move and dragged himself down the stairway. The Sphinx leapt down onto the first floor in one bound, positioning herself between him and the door.

The rain lessened a little. Edward was able to tell by the lighter pattering on the roof. The sun came shining through the hole in the wall, the exit of the mansion. It brightened the room considerably, making the Sphinx look less intimidating.

Edward sighed. He knew he was going to die. For some reason, now was an okay time. He fell to his knees and cried, looking at the brilliant light shining through the hole in the wall. It was encouraging and made him feel strong.

He whispered to himself, "I'm only human. There's only so much I can do. Human…"

The Sphinx cocked its head, getting out of her ready death crouch. She seemed intrigued by what the boy had said. She growled, "What did you say?"

"Human?"

The Sphinx looked like it was smiling, in an eerie way. She nodded her head, adding, "That is the correct answer to the riddle. I'm just guessing, but I believe you got it out of sheer luck. No matter. As agreed, I shall let you go."

Outside of the structure, a worried voice yelled, "Big Brother? Are you okay?"

Edward looked around and saw that the Sphinx was gone. He could have sworn he saw a flash of gold disappear up the stairs. But that didn't matter. He was safe now.

Edward cried, "Alphonse! I'm here! I'm in here."

A mud spattered, seven foot tall, gray, suit of armor made its way carefully through the hole in the wall. It ran over to Edward, asking if he was alright. Ed didn't respond, he just let his brother help him up.

"Alphonse?"

"Yes, Big Brother?"

"I'm glad you're looking out for me."

Alphonse carried his brother out into the sun, not asking any pestering questions.

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So do you guys like it? **Please R&R! If I don't get two reviews on this chapter and the last, I will stop writing. R&R R&R R&R R&R!**


	3. Amnesia

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Merry Chrisramakwanzakkuh! Guess where I'm typing this? My new laptop! I'm sooo excited! More updates now that I have more computer time! Huzzah!

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The train's intercom crackled to life. Someone cleared their voice and that was followed up by the sound of tapping. A man spoke timidly, stuttering every now and then.

"The-the next stop is… it is… Resembool? Yes Re-Resembool. We will be arriving at the platform in a matter of m-minutes. Please, gather your belongings and prepare to de-depart the train. Thank-you."

There on a wooden bench on the train sat a suit of armor and a blonde-haired teenager. They were whispering quietly to each other, ignoring a few staring eyes. Maybe the pair was just used to receiving rude glances.

The armor said to the blonde, "Big Brother, do you think that Winry will get-."

"Course she'll be mad! This is the third time I've completely destroyed my automail!"

"Edward! Don't yell. We'll get even more looks…"

"Yeah, sorry, Al. It's just… Winry… She's gonna kill me!"

"Ed!"

"Sorry!"

The train put on its brakes and began to move sluggishly. The whistle sounded and a black smog shrouded the compartment windows.

Ed and Al stood up, collecting their few belongings. Edward was dreading Winry, her wrath a certain death. And what would his explanation be for the busted automail? A talking chimera from another planet sliced it in half? Yeah, that would go over real well.

The air was warm outside, the sky cloudless. A pair of swallows flew overhead, landing in a nearby tree. Summer was beautiful out in Resembool. So peaceful…

"Alphonse! Don't try and pick up another stray! It's probably someone's barn-cat!"

"Oh, but Big Brother… he looks so lonely!"

"If we take him with us, ole' Den will eat up. Every last bit."

"Well, I suppose we can leave him here."

"Good idea."

Petty conversation carried on as Edward and Alphonse headed to the Rockbell Automail Shop, Winry's pride and joy. It felt good to have some nice weather for a change and to smell the fresh countryside. The city was dirty and rotten, and an escape would do Edward and Alphonse good, even if the escape was just for repairs.

It was past noon when the automail shop came into view. Edward was grumbling about lunch, complaining that he would die of starvation. The vast hills made the trek even more tiring, causing Ed to be even _more_ hungry.

Alphonse pointed out to his brother that lunch was only a half of an hour away. "Look on the bright side, Big Brother. Not only will you get lunch soon, but you'll get to see Winry."

"Don't remind me."

"She'll be happy to see you, Big Brother."

"Because I'm loaded, Al!"

"That's not true. Winry is like our sister."

"Our money-automail-crazed sister."

"Edward!"

"I know, I know. She is like family. Our violent family."

"I give up!"

Edward laughed heartily and Alphonse only sighed, putting his hands up in defeat. He knew that Ed and Winry liked each other, but didn't like to express it. He only wished they did, like normal people.

A loud, excited bark was heard in front of Ed and Al. They both looked up and saw Den, Auntie Pinako's faithful dog, running up to greet them. His tail was wagging, thumping Alphonse's armor in a rhythmical pattern. Edward bent down to pet the giant of a dog and was met by a slobbery kiss.

The two boys laughed. "It's good to see you too, Den."

The big black dog turned and set off at a trot for the automail shop. He was escorting them, in case Edward got any funny ideas.

They reached the door and Den watched them knock on it, before lying down to a nice long nap.

The door was answered by a blue-eyed, blonde-haired teenager, who was cradling a phone between her cheek and right shoulder. She didn't look up to see who had been rapping at the front door, she only motioned with her left hand to come inside.

Winry was entwining her fingers around the short cord, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. Her eyes were sort of dreamy, as if she was talking about new automail.

"That was my best work," she sighed happily.

Ed had a shocked look on his face. "You mean you really aren't ma-."

Winry held up her hand, telling Ed to shut-up. He hadn't realized she had been talking to the person on the phone.

"So you're coming at eight?.. Wonderful! I'm free all night… Not like that!.. Okay. Buh-bye."

A sigh emanated from the girl's mouth, as she turned to Ed. Then she realized exactly who she had let in her door.

"Ed!"

"Winry, who was that?"

"Just this friend of mine," she answered, waving her hand as if it weren't a big deal.

"So how have you been, Ed? Al?"

The two looked at each other, grinning sheepishly. Al nodded to Edward who groaned and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, you see, Winry… It was Saturday morning and-."

"YOUR ARM IS GONE! MY BEST WORK!"

"Your best work? What about this friend of yours! I hear he has your best work!"

"That's because he never breaks it!"

Edward became quiet. He murmured, "How long have you known this guy, Winry? I mean are you…?"

"Well… yeah. Ed, you're never here. Why should I be lonely because you never visit or write? I want someone to love me."

"I… I do love you, Winry."

"You're sweet, Ed. And I've known you forever. But you're never here. It won't work. I'm sorry."

Edward put his head down like a beaten dog. Winry put her arm on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. She thought he was going to start crying.

"Ed… Ed are you alright?"

He looked up and he had a half-smile on his face. His voice was quivering when he said, "Maybe we can't be boyfriend and girlfriend, Winry. But… can we still be friends?"

"Of course Ed! We've always been friends! We don't need to be more."

Al tapped them both on the shoulder. "Um… guys? I don't mean to intrude, but can we, um…"

Winry turned and gave Al a hug out of the blue. If he could have blushed, he would have looked like a tomato. Why was Winry hugging him?

The clock's ticking seemed to grow in intensity. Each second passed uncomfortably and Al tried to pull away from the embrace. Winry blushed and apologized. Then she turned back to Ed, grabbing a wrench and proceeded to whack him on the head.

"What was that for?"

"Don't think I forgot that your completely destroyed my automail for the third time!"

"You mean my automail!"

"If I don't want to make it, I don't have to!"

"Then you don't get any money!"

"I'll get it from Tom!"

"Tom? Is that your new _boyfriend_?"

"Yes it is, as a matter of a fact! Tom Peterson!"

"Tom Peterson, Tom Peterson… hm. Is that the guy who lives in town?"

"Yeah…"

"I know where he lives! I'll go and beat the crap out of him!"

"What happened to only being friends?"

"I'm gonna go and beat his-!"

Winry whacked Edward on the head again with her wrench. He fell over, seeing stars. After the commotion, Al slapped his forehead. Ed would always be Ed.

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"All done! It looks better then the last!"

Ed only groaned.

"Come on, Edward! Where's your spirit? That'll be one hundred thousand, please!"

He managed to mutter, "See, Al? Didn't I tell you? Money-crazed…"

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The sun was just rising. Only a few clouds passed overhead, boasting little patches of shade. It was chilly for a summer morning the grass covered with drying dew. Den yawned. Was it morning already? Time for another nap. He dropped back off to sleep.

The automail shop's door creaked open as Edward and Alphonse Elric creeped outside. They wanted to avoid waking Winry, because she would most likely be cranky after an almost all-nighter.

They had nearly shut the door, when someone stuck their foot in the way. They turned and saw Winry in a pink nightgown, wearing sneakers to protect her feet from the cold hardwood flooring. She looked tired, but not grumpy.

"Weren't you guys going to say good-bye? After all, this could be the last time I see you for a few years."

Al spoke up. "And why's that, Winry?"

She smiled. "Because you never visit!"

Edward sighed out of relief. He had been picturing grotesque torture, but was relieved that she had nothing of the kind in mind.

"I promise to call at least once this year, Winry. That's my early New Year's resolution," said Edward.

"And I promise to call, too," said Alphonse.

"This pains me… but I promise to hit you guys with wrenches less," said Winry.

"That all being said, Al and I have to run to catch our train! We have only forty-five minutes to make it to the station! Al, come on!"

"Coming!"

The girl stood there waving, watching her childhood friends run out of her life again. Would they keep their promises? Nah.

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"Next stop, Central City! Next stop, Central City! Please gather all of your baggage and prepare to depart the train!"

Edward stretched his new automail arm and bent down to pick up his one suitcase. It was lighter now that the broken part of his automail arm wasn't inside of it. He cracked his back and wordlessly paraded to the exit.

The train inched forward, nearly stopped. Why couldn't the doors just open now? A big crowd formed around the exit. A lot of people were getting off, just about emptying the train.

The doors slid open and a train hand stood monitoring things, in the event of… just about anything. He nodded to Ed as he stepped off. Ed nodded back.

"You're on security now, Norm?"

"Yeah. It beats cleaning the toilets, though," the man laughed.

"How have you been, Al? Still letting Edward cheat at cards?"

"No," chuckled Al, "I've been watching him very carefully."

"And…?"

"I've been winning a lot! I always used to wonder why he'd get a straight flush or a royal flush every hand…"

"You're too trusting, Alfie."

Edward cut in. "We gotta go, Norm. I have an overdue report that needs to be given to Mustang."

"Alright, I'll let you kids go."

"We're not kids!"

Norman just laughed.

Edward stalked out of the station, coughing as the steam engine emitted black smog. Al followed, clanking behind. They made their way through the crowd. It seemed as though everyone else was heading in the other direction.

The weather was different in the city. Apparently, it had been gray with clouds and rain for the two days that Ed had been gone. That day wasn't an exception. It was more like mist than rain that day, however. It stung Ed's eyes and seemed to come from everywhere.

They walked to a less crowed area of town to avoid the rushing mob that was trying to escape the rain. It truly was a drab day.

Edward had covered his eyes with a kerchief to prevent the rain from stinging him. But, although it had stopped the pricking sensation, he kept running into Al or a building. So, Ed was forced to remove the kerchief.

When he looked up, to his horror, he saw a woman with waist-length dirty-blonde hair and gold eyes. She had a blood-stained dress on that had once been white. It was the chimera! She was facing a building, looking up into the sky with a gaping mouth, as if in a dream.

Ed changed his new automail in a blade and ran up to her, holding the edge of the blade just below her chin. She turned to him and seeing that she was in danger, she jumped back, covering her face with her hands. The chimera began to cry, begging for her life, saying that she was lost and didn't know where she was.

"You tried to kill me! Why should I believe you!"

"I-I… Please don't hurt me!"

"I should just kill you now, end your misery!"

"No! I don't even know my name!"

"You should have figured it out after two thousand years!"

"Help! There's a boy here trying to kill me!"

The streets were abandoned. Only Ed was there. And Alphonse, who grabbed his brother's shoulder, putting a restraining grip on it.

"What are you doing, Big Brother? Why are you trying to hurt this poor girl?"

"She's the chimera, Alphonse!"

"Let her go. She seems harmless."

"Harmless? Did you not notice that my automail was cleanly sliced in half because of _her_ claws?"

"Maybe it's not her."

"Yes, it is! I should know! I almost got killed by her!"

Alphonse was quiet and the girl looked at him hopefully. He was the only one who could help her. He just had to! Then he turned to her, a questioning look on his face.

"You don't know your name?"

"No! I don't know anything! I-I… I was under some rubble when I woke up. That's my first memory."

"And when was this?"

"Ten minutes ago."

Alphonse turned to Ed, who was still glaring at the girl. He was killing her over and over in his mind. The suit of armor looked at him.

"This chimera of yours… she has amnesia."

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What the hell, I got four reviews, even if no one reviewed the first :'o( Thanx for all the reviews! Look out for the next chapter soon! C ya!


	4. Chimera's Tale

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

I was looking for names for our Sphinx friend, when I decided to look up the meanings of FMA character's names.

Edward: Guardian

Alphonse: Eager

Elrich : ( they didn't have Elric) ghastly, prenatural

Roy: King

Trisha: Of Noble Descent

Jean: (no matter how I typed it, it came out female, lol) Gracious

Elysia: Oath of God

Nina: Girl

Denny: Wild

Maria: Sea of Bitterness (ain't that the truth)

Lisa: (that be my name) Consecrated from God (is that a good thing, or a bad thing?)

I thought Roy's and Ed's suited them --;

Howdy folks! I got braces and now my mouth feels awful. It's sooo sore. Ugh. Whatever. Enjoy the fourth chapter of the Three Sided Sphinx!

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"Amnesia?" Edward asked.

"I'm no doctor, but that's my impression. Speaking of which, we should take her to the hospital," responded Alphonse.

"Hell no!" growled Edward. He still was convinced that she was the chimera. The same chimera that had almost killed him. The same chimera that wrecked his automail and sent him to Winry only to be whacked on the head with a wrench!

The girl started backing up, trying to escape. Ed noticed and jumped in front f her, shouting "Oh no you don't!"

"Please, just leave me alone!"

Alphonse tried reasoning with the girl, but she was too petrified. He didn't want to have to force her to a doctor's, but he didn't want to just leave her there. What should he do?

"Excuse me, miss. I'm just trying to help you. We will take you to a hospital to be examined. That's all."

She looked at Al, undecidedly. "What about him? Is he going to hurt me?" She was nodding towards Ed who was pouting like a child. Why wouldn't Alphonse listen to him? That was the man-eating chimera! She was going to tear them to shreds at the first chance!

The girl nodded her head, agreeing to come with the Al to the doctor. Alphonse turned to Edward and gave him an 'if you touch her one time...' look. Ed looked away, disgusted. Of course, Al had to be all chivalrous and help the damsel in distress. But, what would become of it?

"Big Brother, are you following?"

"I guess. But it better be quick. If I give Mustang one more late report, he said he'd assign me to paperwork. And I don't want to do paperwork!"

Al laughed and turned to continue, talking calmly to the girl as if he were her parent or something. She seemed to ease up and talk a little more freely. Not that she had much to talk about. She didn't even know her own name.

Following slowly behind, Ed was sulking. The same question kept popping up in his mind, making him angrier and angrier. Why hadn't Alphonse listened to him? He knew what he was talking about. Why hadn't Alphonse listened to him? He knew what he was talking about.

It took twenty-five minutes to walk across town to the hospital. It was the smallest in Central, but Alphonse had intended that, in case what Edward said was true. He didn't want to cause a stir.

Like many of the buildings in Central City, it was two stories, constructed of brick. A sign with a red cross in it was swinging just above the door. No name was visible the sign, which further indicated that it was a small hospital.

Once inside, the threesome was greeted by a homely set-up; there was a fireplace on the right wall with plush chairs all around it. The floors were made of wood and the walls were brick all the way through. And a high counter serving as the front desk on the wall directly in front of Ed, Al, and the chimera. Behind the counter stood a petite woman with brown hair, writing something on a planner. She looked up to see the three standing in front of the desk, a seemingly perpetual smile on her face.

She asked in a kind voice, "May I help you?"

Al stepped forward and said, "Yeah, um, I know we don't have an appointment or anything, but-."

She laughed, "We need all the business we can get. There are two people working here. Well, unless you count the doctor's daughter. She likes to help a lot. I am the nurse and secretary, so I'll get you signed in and then I'll need to know your problem. What's the first name?"

"Me, or her? She's the one that needs to be examined," said Al.

"Her name is fine."

"That's the problem. She doesn't know it. I believe she had amnesia."

The secretary/nurse looked at the girl thoughtfully. "Well, that is a problem, now isn't it? Why don't I take your name, young man." She nodded towards the suit of armor.

"It's Alphonse Elric, ma'am."

The nurse looked at him warmly. "What a nice name. My name is Maria Redford."

If Al could have blushed, he would have. He would be the color of a strawberry. He turned away from Maria, and let her talk to the chimera. Though, he wasn't sure if she was really chimera. Ed had said so, and that should have been proof enough. But, she just seemed so helpless... there wasn't any possible way she could be part lion. And definitely not a killer!

Maria pushed back a lock of brown hair and turned to the girl, her smile never leaving her face. It was a very wholesome smile, reassuring in a way. And it made the girl all that much easier. She smiled back.

"You have very pretty eyes. And your hair is so cute! I wish my hair was that color. Then I'd be cute too," cooed the nurse. Which wasn't true. Maria looked good as a brunette. But she had to calm the girl down, who had been very frightened.

"Thank-you. I think you're fine the way you are, though," said the girl.

Steps could be heard coming down the stairs and everyone turned to see a teenager helping an old lady down. She looked a lot like the nurse, but younger and with freckles. Her hair was in two long braids going down her back, bouncing around her hips. She reached the landing and the elderly lady grabbed the girl's arms and finished the descent.

"Thank-you so much. These stairs are very frightening; every time I come I think I'm going to fall." The old lady patted the girl on the head.

"I'll never let you fall. I'll never let anyone fall," the girl responded.

Then the old woman made her way to the counter to make her next appointment. Maria held up a finger, telling them to wait. "I'll be back with you in a moment. I have to go help this nice lady with her appointment. Okay?" She turned to the girl who had helped the woman down the stairs and said, "Kate? Will you take these people into the second room? That would really be wonderful."

"Sure, Maria!" She turned to Edward, Alphonse, and the chimera. "Come on, guys! Follow me."

Kate practically skipped up the stairs, extremely hyper for a teenager. Her enthusiasm spread throughout the threesome and they were filled with unknown eagerness. Edward was even grinning, though he didn't know why. Maybe it was because this place seemed so joyful. Everyone was smiling here, being kind and polite to one another. It was contagious.

Kate pushed open the second wooden door, leading into a small room with an examination table, counter filled with bottles of medicine, and a sink. The room was painted a rusty red, being made of plaster instead of bricks. Ed deducted that the second floor was newer, not being in the original planning.

The room was dimly lit by two candles and a large window. Kate reached in her pocket, retrieved a book of matches, and lit seven more. She explained, "Electricity is so expensive. And besides, we can make our own candles. My dad says that it doesn't matter how you get light, just as long as it's bright. Pops will be with you soon."

Then she closed the door. Ed listened to her steps as she tromped down the staircase. He sighed when she was out of earshot.

"We're going to have to give you some name," Edward said to the chimera. "Can't just call you 'girl', now can we?"

"I... I guess not."

"Well, do you have a preference?" Al joined in the conversation.

"I like the name Melanie."

"I don't!" Exclaimed Ed. "How about Mel. I can live with that. At least until you get your real name. If you even have one... Sphinx..."

"What was that?" Mel asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"If you know something, Big Brother, you should tell her. Help her remember."

"I was just mumbling!"

"Big Brother! You were not!"

"Nothing I haven't already told you, Alphonse!"

"What does that mean," cried Al.

"She's the chimera! The chimera claimed that it was a Sphinx! I'm not sure what a Sphinx is, but it spoke of another world. That world was called Earth! It talked about going there and coming back. But I'm not sure if it was speaking in riddles or not. It was part lion," Ed turned to Mel. "_You're _part lion."

Mel backed up, shaking her head. "I- I don't know! I can't remember!"

Edward almost screamed, "You don't want to remember!"

The door opened and there stood a man wearing a white coat. He had a questioning look on his face and glanced back and forth between Ed and Mel. He cleared his throat.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Edward turned towards the window, peering out. He folded his arms against his chest and sighed. "No, you aren't interrupting anything, doctor. I just finished."

The doctor nodded.

"I see."

There was a pause.

"Well, I'll introduce myself. I'm doctor Redford, owner and doctor of this establishment. I went to medical school for six years, then worked a job in the army as a surgeon to get some money. I had my first marriage seventeen years ago, had my first and only child fourteen years ago. You've met her. She's Kate. My first wife died abruptly a year ago. I don't know why, even though I am a doctor. We don't know everything... yes, sorry! Um, I got married to my nurse three months ago, and I just got back from our honeymoon. Can I help you?"

"Do I have to give that much information?" asked Al.

"Oh, no, no! I just like to do that so my patients know that I will be open and honest with them, so they return the favor. It's very hard to cure someone if they don't tell you where it hurts."

"Well, my name is Alphonse Elric, and that's my Big Brother, Edward."

"You don't drink milk, do you sprout," said doctor Redford, addressing Ed.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SPROUT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T DRINK WHITE LIQUID THAT LOOKS LIKE FOAM FROM A RABID DOG THAT WAS ACTUALLY SECRETED FROM A COW!"

"Maybe if you drank milk, you wouldn't be such a bean," replied the doctor, not intending to make Edward angry again. However, he did.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO BEAN-LIKE THAT PEOPLE PUT HIM IN BEAN SOUP AND COOKME AT THREE HUNDRED DEGREES!"

"Big Brother! He never said any of that!"

"He might as well have! We should have gone to a different hospital. This doesn't even look like a hospital! It looks more like a house!"

The doctor sighed. "Yes, it is a house. But I couldn't afford an office and a home, so I combined them."

"Excuse me, doctor Redford," whispered Mel. "I have a problem with my memory."

"So you're the patient? Happy to finally meet you! Your name is...?"

Mel shrugged. "I don't know. I can't remember. But those two have dubbed me Mel."

Redford considered the name, a thoughtful look on his face. There seemed to be a calm air about him. The Dad was calm, the wife was amiable, the daughter was hyper. A perfect combination. "Yeah, Mel works for now. So, Mel, when did you first have these memory problems?"

"About an hour ago."

"What is your first memory?"

"Lying under some rubble, wondering why I was covered in blood."

"Yes, I was a little worried that you were seriously injured when I first saw you. I'm glad to hear that you're physically a-ok. But one hour ago is the line that divides remembrance and forgetting, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And you were under rubble, so head injury is the probable cause. If it was head injury, I'm going to diagnose you with retrograde amnesia. I'm not a neurologist or anything, but I briefly covered the brain and luckily studied how memory works."

"Well is there a cure?" asked Al.

"Time is the only cure I can prescribe."

"How long until I can remember again?"

"Depends. From seconds to years. The most common thing is to get older memories back first. I know I haven't been much help, but at least you know something."

"Yeah. Thanks, doc," muttered Edward, who was still facing the window.

Everyone glanced at him. The rest of the building was cheery, but Ed was like his own little rain cloud, thundering over everyone else. He turned and they all looked away.

"Thank-you for seeing me, Dr. Redford. I appreciate it." Mel smiled.

"Not a problem. Now, go down the stairs and fill out the paperwork and pay for the bill and you're free to go."

Ed stared at the doctor. "Bill? You didn't do anything!"

He smiled. "Yes I did. I explained what was wrong with Mel."

All of a sudden, the door burst open. Kate was standing there panting. She straightened up a little and cried, "We got a situation downstairs, Pops. Some guy accidently dropped a knife on his foot. By the looks of it, amputation is necessary. Better hurry up!"

Doctor Redford left without another word. Screams of pain echoed throughout the building, making Edward, Alphonse, and Mel cover their ears. It was a horrible sound; it was like a death scream.

Mel looked pale, her face ghostly white. She seemed to stumble a little, then she fell. Al caught her before she hit the ground. Then, with her limp body in his arms, he descended the stairs, preparing for a gruesome scene.

A man was lying on the floor, holding his bloody foot. Kate, Dr. Redford, and Nurse Redford were all trying to slip a stretcher below him so he could be carried up the steps. They weren't having much luck. The blood made everything warm and slippery.

Edward dashed over to help, clapping his hands, deconstructed the stretcher, and reconstructed it underneath the man. Al carefully placed Mel on a chair and went to help carry the stretcher up the steps. With the Elric brothers' help, the man was in a bed getting treated in no time.

When the two returned to the first floor, Mel was awake, but barley. She was still pale and trembling, threatening to throw-up. The nurse came and got her a glass of water, talking to her about rehydrating herself and taking it easy until she felt better.

Alphonse pulled Edward aside and whispered, "Look, Big Brother. No killer is going to faint if they see blood. And you called her a man-eater! An apology is in order."

"Nah. I am, after all, paying for her medical bill."

"It would make me happy."

"Fine, fine," Ed turned to Mel. "Hey, look I'm-."

Edward never got to finish. Mel puked all over him, stopping him mid-sentence.

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Heavy footsteps pounded on the sidewalk. They were followed by hollow metal footsteps, which were in turn followed by quick light steps. Edward, Alphonse and Mel were walking towards Central Headquarters. The girl had been apologizing over and over about how sorry she was about the puke and the bill and how sorry she was that he was late because of her.

Ed ignored her apologies, storming down the sidewalk, people moving out of his way. He wasn't completely cleaned off from the earlier incident, and the smell hadn't gotten any better. But the rain had helped a little bit. Just a little bit.

At last, the trio reached Central HQ. They were all damp, except for Alphonse who was metal made. Ed stepped into the building, the rest following suit. The building's interior was warm in contrast to the outside. All of the lights were on and it had a bright look about it.

Edward began down the left hallway. He took a right, climbed some stairs, took a left, left, right, left, right. He came to a door with a golden name plate on it: Brigadier General Roy Mustang.

Shouting could be heard coming from inside of the office.

"-late again! If that damn kid is late, it could cost me my job!"

"Calm down, sir," ordered a female voice. "You know he just takes his time-."

"Time is of the essence, Hawkeye! If he doesn't come in this door right now, I swear, I'll shoot myself!"

"Can I do it for you, Chief?"

"Stay out of this Havoc!"

"Sheesh, someone's in a bad mood."

Edward opened the door with a big smile on his face. He tried his best to look peppy and overly cheerful. "Hi, guys! What's up?"

"Fullmetal! Where have you been?" screamed Mustang.

"Sorry, sir,"began Edward sarcastically. "The chimera busted my automail so I-."

"You killed it? I may be saved yet!" cried Mustang.

"Nah. She's on the other side of the door." Ed turned to towards the door. "Hey, Mel! Come in her for a second!"

The girl entered, still apologizing to Ed. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Try to act like you're my prisoner or something."

Mel nodded. It was the least she could do after all the trouble she had puthim through. A little embarrassment wouldn't hurt. She gave Edward a fake death-glare, hissing like a cat. Surprisingly, the hiss felt normal, not embarrassing at all.

Mustang laughed. "You almost had me worried there for a moment, Elric."

Mel let out a real roar and Edward looked at her carefully. Her eyes seemed to be changing. They had been gold, but not cat-like at all. Now they changed, becoming more feline-like every second. Mel was the chimera. He was sure of it.

Ed transmuted his arm into a blade and pointed it at the chimera. She was staring at him with her mesmorizing eyes. It growled, "I now know my name."

"Yeah, what is it?" yelled Edward.

"My name was Adelina Rose Aldridge. Over two thousand years ago. I am part lion."

"How did you become part lion?" Ed inquired, with a softer tone.

"I... I..." Her eyes became human again and they welled up with tears. "I don't know! All I know is that you and Al arethe only ones I know right now, and I want to be your friend!"

She stood up and ran over to Ed, embracing him, just sobbing. He changed his arm back to normal and gave her a hug back. He hugged the chimera.

Everyone was quiet. The only sound was the chimera's crying. Edward pulled away from the hug and held her at arms distance. He looked at her golden eyes, normal human, golden eyes. He sighed. "Do you remember anything else? Anything at all?"

"I-I remember that I had two brothers. An older one and a younger one. The younger one was weak and sickly, but I loved them both dearly," she murmured. "I remember that we had only our father, and then he left for war and died. I was only seven. But my big brother was sixteen, so he cared for us. I... I think his name was Peter. Yes, it was Peter. He always took care of me. An my younger brother, his name was Callum! I remember! Our father didn't name us right away; he waited until he knew our personalities. The meaning of Peter is stone,because he was the eldest and was supposed to help take care of us. I was named Adelina because it means sweet and noble; my father used to call me his sweet flower. And Callum means dove, because he was just so kind and peaceful. I remember my brothers!"

Edward smiled softly to her. "I bet your brothers were the world to you. I bet they treated you very kindly."

"Oh, yes," cried the chimera, "Peter even taught me alchemy. That's right! I'm an alchemist!" Her eyes became feline again. Her voice was lower, angrier. "He's the one that did this. He was a fool. An idiot. A traitor!"

Edward's eyes grew large. "Your big brother made you into a chimera?"

"Heh. That's not even the half of it. I remember everything now. Perfectly. You answered my riddle correctly, Edward. I remember almost killing you. And... I also remembered the kindness you showed me when I was at your mercy. Exact opposite of my brother."

"What happened to you?" Edward was truly interested now.

"I was sixteen when it happened. Peter was twenty-four. Callum was fifteen. It had been raining, with lightning flashing and thunder booming. Callum had been sick, and was in bed resting. Peter was in his room, doing who knows what. I was reading in my room. Peter had entered my room and asked for me to follow him. I did so, never suspecting... We went into the basement, and I began to question my brother's motives. When I asked what we were doing, he said he was going to give me the _ultimate alchemy lesson_. I believed him. Once down the stairs, he pushed me against the wall and bound my hands, gagging me too. Then, I saw Callum, who was bound and gagged as well. I tried to reach out to him, but I couldn't get there.

"Peter, meanwhile, had a transmutation circle drawn around Callum and was putting other things inside of it; dogs, cats, all of them drugged. I managed to spit my gag out and shouted 'Peter! What madness is this?' He grinned at me, and then I could tell he was insane. He shouted back 'I will finally see Father again! All I need is the Philosophers'Stone!' Before activating the array, he walked over to Callum and pat him on the head. 'Don't worry, little Brother. You'll finally get to see Mother.' Then, he stepped out of the circle and put his hands to it.

"My eyes were blinded by the light. It was gone in a few seconds, and so was Callum. Instead of him, a small red stone was in the middle of the array. Peter crawled over to it, screaming 'it's mine! I have the stone!' He reached out for it, but it burst, like it was too full.

"My big brother raged, shouting that all this work was for nothing. That it most not have been stable with so few souls, and only one human. He turned to me, saying that it was my fault. He said that I'd pay, and he left the basement, leaving me in the dark for two days.

"Peter came back and said that he'd thought of a suitable punishment. Make me a chimera. It was torture, he said. Your body is always in pain and no one accepts you. He had bought a male lion, telling me he how kind he was for picking a lion versus a cockroach. I could have cared less. I no longer had the will to live. I had no parents, my little brother Callum was killed by my older brother, who was now trying to kill me as well. Life was already over for me.

"I was thrown into a transmutation circle with a drugged lion. I kissed the beast on the cheek, telling it how sorry I felt for it. Peter activated the circle and I felt my body being torn in two, regrouping, and being torn again. I lost consciousness.

"When I awoke, I noticed large paws instead of hands. I had a tail and a relentless wave of pain. There stood Peter, laughing manically. Without hesitation, I pounced on him and tore him limb from limb. I had no regret, remorse, or pain while doing it. Only anger. Blind fury. I wanted to rip the bastard's very soul out of his wretched body! Show him what it felt like.

"When he could not be ripped up any more, I walked to the other side of the basement, and began to cry. As I did, I noticed my body became human again. It pained my to transform, but I didn't care. I could still look human.

"Then, I remembered poor Callum. Being an alchemist, and his older sister, it was my duty to try anything to bring him back. Even the forbidden science. I made a transmutation circle as quickly as I could. Then I put several transmutation circles all over my body. My head, my chest, my arms, my legs, my stomach. Equivalency could have me, just so long as they gave my brother back." Here she stopped the story, turning to Edward. "You know the sense of duty I felt. The need to try and bring back your loved one." Then she continued her story. "I saw a gate, with darkness inside of it. Eyes watched me and hands reached for me. I almost gave up, when I saw a light. I pulled towards it, fighting the grasp of Equivalence.

"I had reached the other side of the gate. I saw desert and more desert. After wandering for a day, a caravan picked me up and took me to the next city. They were kind enough to give me water, food, and a little money," Adelina Rose stopped telling her tale and turned to the door, shouting, "Alphonse Elric! If you're going t listen, stop eavesdropping and come in here!"

The door creaked open and the suit of armor stepped in, laughing sheepishly. He shut the door behind him. "Sorry."

Adelina Rose sighed and began again. "I made a bit of money with petty jobs, enough to board a merchant ship heading from Alexandria, Egypt, to Rome. I didn't care where in Rome, but it was said that it twas the best place to go."

"Is Rome on the Earth you were talking about?" asked Edward.

"Yes, and so is Egypt." She closed her eyes, as if remembering something painful. "The next few events I couldn't control. I had a hunger for flesh. While on the boat, I turned into the Sphinx and ate the crew;a shpinx is the chimera form you know. When we docked, the Romans saw a lion with a woman's head, eating corpses on the deck of the boat. They fled, shouting the gods had sent their wrath in the form of a lion. The next few years, I ran about the land, feasting on people. I always gave them a riddle before eating them, however. If they answered correctly, I let them live. Two people did that, Oedipus and Edward. So I-."

Mustang interrupted. "So you're saying that when you look like a chimera, you lose control?"

"Sometimes. But most of the time-."

"Hawkeye, keep your gun on it. I don't want any of our men hurt. If it makes any funny movements, blow its brains out."

"I have a name and gender!" shouted Adelina Rose.

Mustang snarled, "Shut-up, chimera. You've killed nine people in Central City, my city! I want you to pay."

The wind rattled the windows and pushed the shutters around. Mustang was breathing heavy, his face filled with hate and revenge. A venom that pierced Adelina Rose's heart. She had seen that very look before. It was the look of hatred that Peter had given her when he convinced himself that everything was her fault. That look said everything that didn't need to be said.

"I didn't kill those people; my brother did," she said, grinding her teeth.

"He couldn't be living after you ripped him up-," began Havoc.

"No! He made me a chimera! He killed my little brother! It's not my fault! It's not!"

Adelina Rose looked up in Mustangs eyes. They were like walls, something hiding behind them. She looked further and saw behind the hatred, regret. Something Peter did not have. She laughed. "You have done something awful, and don't you ever deny it. You are sorry and wish you could take it back, but you know that you never can. So now, you wish to kill me for doing the exact same thing you did?"

"...Lower your weapon, Hawkeye," Mustang muttered.

"Sir?"

"Just do it."He sighed, defeated.

"After Oedipus solved my riddle, I went back to Africa, the continent that held Egypt. I stayed in the east, peacefully living as a lion. In the 1800s, some hunters captured me and tried bringing me to America, the most powerful country in the world at the time. Half-way there, we passed into a raging storm, that nearly tore the boat in two. I was locked in my cage, unable to see what was happening. But somehow I knew. I was going home.

"I could feel the boat plummeting. It hit the ground and shattered like glass. Everyone but a few other animals and myself died. Once I felt good enough to travel, I headed west, the other animals following me. I _thought _they were following me, but the sad truth was that they were starving and had decided to hunt me. I couldn't stop to rest, or I would be eaten. I walked for six days straight until I reached a town. An elderly couple helped me inside their barn, where I collapsed. They didn't seem too concerned that me, a lion, would eat them. In fact, they brought me food, and actually let me out. I didn't turn human around them; I was too afraid of what they'd do.

"For some unknown reason, the couple died and their son inherited me. He had no use for a lion, so he soldme to a family in Central. I was shipped there, and in my small wooden crate, I turned back into a girl. When I was unloaded, and uncrated, the family saw that I was a girl, not a lion. They housed me and treated me like family."

"You haven't aged, then?" queried Mustang.

"No. Not since the fateful day I was made into a chimera." she paused, looking at her audience. "I learned the family's last name, but I thought it was probably just a coincidence. They were Aldridge. The father and the daughter were alchemists. I once asked them if the name Callum rang a bell, but they said no. Even if they were my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great nieces and nephews, they weren't going to know their ancestors' names from two thousand years ago. Either that, or they were lying to me.

"Well, I found a family tree they had hidden in a bookcase. It went back sixty generations. Sure enough, Callum was at the bottom. He had started the tree. And my name was right next to it. I cried out of joy that day. Callum, my little brother, had lived, gotten married, had children and grandchildren. And I was seeing them.

"One day, my family went shopping together. I stayed behind, studying everything I had forgotten about alchemy. They said to me that they'd be back in an hour. They never returned. A drunken man attacked them with a knife, killing them all. They were defenseless. The alchemy they knew was cutesy, not enough to help.

"I cried again, but out of sorrow. According to the family tree, I was the last surviving member of the Aldridge family. My Sphinx side took over, and I stayed hidden until recently. I became very hungry. I had to feast. I attempted to eat Edward, but he solved the riddle in time. He left and I stayed in the mansion." She stopped again and spoke to Ed. "That was the residence of my late family. They left it to Adelina Rose Tilem in their will. I used that name in front of them. To protect them from the ugly truth. An ugly truth that'sbeencovered up with a pretty liefor two thousand years.

"I rested in the mansion for two days. I was about to leave when it just collapsed on me. I became human just before I lost consciousness so if anyone found me unawares, they would not suspect. So now you have the truth. The Sphinx ofEarth has just spilled its guts for you. Sometimes, I wished Peter had just killed me."

Everyone was silent. A tear steamed down Edward's face. During the story, he had been remembering his mother. How she died, how they tried to bring her back. Why they had tried to bring her back. How they had failed. He had remembered Nina. How he had failed to see Tucker's madness. Why they had let Nina out of their sight. Why they hadn't split Nina and Alexander apart. He had remember Alphonse, who suffered armor as a body. How did Alphonse put up with him? Why did he not blame him?

Tears flowed down Edward's cheek now. He openly cried. Alphonse came over, concerned. "What's wrong, Big Brother?"

Edward only cried harder, leaning into the suit of armor. Such a cold body for such a warm soul. He stuttered, "Al... H-how can you n-not blame me f-for what ha-happened? How ca-can you be so k-kind to me?"

Alphonse hugged his brother. "I could never blame you, Big Brother. I could never in a million years blame you."

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Well, now ya know the Sphinxes story. I tried to write a span of two thousand years as quickly as I could, but it still turned out like three pages long, so pardon me.

When I first saw the name Callum, I was like, "That's the one!" And when I learned that it meant dove, I was like, "This is perfect!" So there you go.

Please R&R. I think this extra long chapter deserves it.

THREAT: IF I DON'T GET AT LEAST A REVIEW ON EACH OF MY CHAPTERS, I'LL STOP WRITING THIS STORY!


	5. Dark Corridors

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Hi! I'm happy!

**WARNING: SPOILERS!**

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Edward stood in Mustang's office. The rain had finally ceased, and now it was extremely humid. All of the papers resting on Mustang's desk were damp and both him and Ed could feel the water hanging in the air. When they inhaled, it felt thick, like peanut butter on the roof of their mouths.

The clock on the desk showed that it was nearly nine on the morning. When Edward had first stepped inside the office, it had been eight thirty. They had been staring at each other, silently, for the past half hour. Neither knew what to say.

Mustang made like he was about to speak, but stopped. He didn't know what to do about the chimera. And worse yet, Ed and Al had befriended it. And even _worse yet_, it had a sad story and he himself pitied it. But what was the _absolute worst, _was the fact the he had gotten direct orders from the Fuehrer to eradicate it from the face of the planet. If he did, many of his close friends would think him cruel. Hawkeye and Havoc had been in the room when the chimera paid a visit. They heard its story and had sympathized with it as well. Why was he always stuck with the dirty work? Because he was the Brigadier General. That's why.

"Sir," Ed began. "I don't suppose that we could just let her go, right? I mean, what if she..."

"Goes on a killing spree again?" Mustang snapped.

"...yeah. But, we can't just kill her! She's human!"

"Partly."

Ed growled. "Mostly! And what if I kept an eye on her? Made sure she didn't..."

"Kill again?"

"Exactly!"

Mustang sighed. "I don't know. If someone found out, I could be striped of my title, license, and sent to jail for twenty years!"

"But this is someone's life. Not a stupid title. This is someone's life."

"What if she can't protect herself, or keep pace with you and Al?"

"She said that she was an alchemist, and we don't go that fast." Edward could feel Mustang giving in. He could tell that the Brigadier General wanted to side with him, but... something was holding him back.

"I don't know, Edward. It's just..."

"This decision shouldn't be tough, genius!"

Mustang glared at him. "You have nothing to lose! I could lose my job. And my job is all I have."

"Do what you think is right, then. Not what the _Fuehrer _tells you is right."

Edward knew that he had already won. He just needed the words to come out of that man's big mouth.

"Do what you will." Mustang let out a long sigh and scratched his head. "You would have brought her along anyway, right? Might as well authorize it to make it official."

"Thanks," Edward said in earnest.

"You're welcome, Fullmetal. Now, you're dismissed. And I won't need a report on the chimera incident. Let's just say it was filed wrong, okay?"

Ed saluted. "Yes, sir."

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The Military's Headquarter's young, kind secretary had been replaced by and old, fat, grumpy secretary. She was giving all who came to her a hard time, Adelina Rose not being an exception. In the most polite way, she had came up to the woman asked when the state alchemist test were. The woman replied with, "Huh. Hm. Ugh," which wasn't very helpful.

Adelina Rose tried again. "Excuse me, ma'am. I was wondering is you would enlighten me about the state alchemy exams. I know very little about them. So if you could tell me how to register and when they are, I would be very thankful."

The secretary grunted. "Look. First of all, I'm not the normal secretary. The other one got sick, so I filled in. Second of all, I don't know the date of the state alchemy exams. And third of all, I don't think the Fuehrer would allow some teenager into the military. What are you, sixteen?"

"Try two thousand," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Thanks for your help.

"Mhm."

Adelina Rose sauntered away from the help desk. She didn't know her way around, and had wandered away against Alphonse's better judgement. She had just wanted to know when the state alchemy exams were, and now she was totally lost.

Changing into a lion and scaring the crap out of the fat secretary would be nice pay back, but it would complicate manners. So Adelina Rose padded along the nearly deserted corridors of the Central Military HQ, trying to keep a cool air about her.

Up ahead in the hallway, Adelina Rose could see a man in a blue military uniform walking. Perhaps he could direct her to Brigadier General Mustang's office.

"Excuse! I'm lost and could use some help finding my way around." She had tried being polite.

The man turned to study her, gazing into her eyes. Adelina Rose looked at him too, grimacing at his eyepatch. He chuckled a little and walked to her, saying, "Of course I can help you get to the Brigadier General's office. Right this way."

He turned and strode down the corridor, whistling like a child. Adelina Rose followed him. He seemed nice. Or at least crazy. But it was better than being lost.

After a few minutes, the man stopped and looked around. The hall was absolutely deserted. He laughed, but this time it sounded sinister. "I thought I ordered Mustang to kill you. He's too soft."

Adelina Rose cocked her head. What was he talking about?

"To think that nobody's been able to kill you for two thousand years! Yes, I know who you are, chimera. I'm sorry, but you have to go." The man drew a short sword from his side.

"Who are you?" she growled, getting ready to fight. Adelina Rose would never have expected fighting someone in the military's head building.

The man laughed again. "To everyone in this building, I'm known as the Fuehrer. My true name is Pride, however."

"Homunculus!"

"So you what a homunculus is? I thought chimera's weren't very smart. Well, that's my bad." Pride shrugged his shoulders.

Adelina Rose changed into a lion keeping her eyes intently on the homunculus. She cringed from the pain, but without that form, she would have been mince meat.

Crouching low, she waited for the homunculus to strike first. That was her technique. Let the opponent strike first and then they are open to attack, unprepared. But Pride stood there with his sword drawn, no moving a muscle. Adelina Rose had learned patience, however. Certainly after two thousand years, one should have mastered the art of patience. And it is an art, indeed.

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"What! What do you mean, 'she wandered off'! Al, you were supposed to keep an eye on her!" Ed almost screamed as the two frantically ran about Head Quarters, searching for the chimera. Of course, Alphonse had been all apologetic, repeating how sorry he was.

"Just forget it, Al," Ed sighed as he stopped to catch his breath.

The armor patted Edward's back. "Don't worry, Big Brother. She's around here somewhere. We just have to keep looking."

A military officer ran up to Ed, panting. "Fullmetal, sir... the Fuehrer is... battling a... lion."

Edward and Alphonse looked at each other. "Where?" shouted Ed.

"In the east wing." The man had caught his breath. "The lion is huge. The Fuehrer said that only Edward Elric could kill it. I don't know why, but he is calling on you." He paused. "It's kind of a stand still. Neither the Fuehrer or the lion are doing anything. They're just staring at one another. It's pretty strange."

Ed took off down the hall. He dashed down the stairs and took a left, managing to avoid colliding with a woman turning the corner. Alphonse wasn't so lucky. He smashed into her, and she fell backwards, scattering all of her papers.

"I'm so sorry," he began. Al collected the woman's papers and handed them to her, looking at her face. He let out a gasp. It was the Fuehrer's secretary. Her long tawny hair put into a loose pony-tail and her eyes soft as ever.

"Thank-you, young man." The secretary smiled and took a right up the stairs, the way Edward he just come.

Al stared after her. "Mom?"

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A burning sensation started up in Edwards throat. The one you get after sprinting for too long. The sensation went all the way down to her chest, and his mouth tasted like blood. But nothing was bleeding, and nothing was burnt. It was only a sensation.

He had been sprinting around the basement off the east wing for nearly ten minutes. He wasn't used to that much running. Ed stopped to cough and gasp, trying to breath again. But the burning kept flaring up, teasing him by going away for a few seconds, and then coming back even worse.

Ed laughed at himself and managed to mumble, "I guess I've gotten out of running shape. Maybe I shouldn't take the train so much."

Slowing his pace to a walk, Ed continued searching the lower level of the east wing. His boots tromped onto the tile floor in an eerie manner, echoing down the deserted halls. The lights were in poor condition, some of the lights were even burnt out. It gave the lower level an ghastly look.

Edward stopped, looking around the bend in the hallway. There stood the Fuehrer fighting a lion just as the officer had said. Several other officers were surrounding the fight, jeering at the beast, whom Ed instantly recognized as Adelina Rose. It was an unfair fight. If Adelina Rose raised one claw against the Fuehrer, the soldiers would attack her or sure. But why had the Fuehrer summoned him?

It was to kill her. Ed remembered now. But why? Why did he have to kill her?

"Ah, Fullmetal! I'm glad you're here," the Fuehrer laughed. It seemed as though he had lost the interest of a lion hunt.

Edward saluted. "Sir! You called for me?"

"Indeed I did, Fullmetal. You see, it's time for your yearly assessment. And this lion would make a good fight. Why don't yo kill it for your assessment, hm?"

Ed stuttered, "B-but sir, I d-don't want to- you see I can't-."

"Is there a problem, Fullmetal?" questioned Fuehrer Bradley.

"Well, I..." Edward began. But he never finished. The lion jumped over the soldiers surrounding her and grabbed Ed's automail arm in her mouth. Then, dragging him along, the lion bolted down the hall, the officers screaming at her and chasing after.

The automail scraped against the tile making a piercing noise. It sent showers off sparks off, wearing down the metallic surface.

Edward managed to swing his other arm around the lion's neck so that he wasn't being dragged anymore. The lion looked at him, not saying a word. Maybe she couldn't speak in her lion form.

Slowly, the clatter of soldier's boots on the floor died out, leaving only the faint padding noises from the lion's soft touch on the tile. After a minute, the lion slowed and Edward dropped off of her back, sighing in relief. He looked to the lion, which was now replaced by Adelina Rose. She groaned, "You weigh a lot."

Edward shook his head. "Naw, it's only the automail. Which is now completely worn down!" he sighed. "What were you doing down here anyway?"

"Well, I got bored so I decided to look around."

"And..?

"And I was hoping to get state alchemist information so I could join," she admitted.

Edward let out a dry laugh. "You could've just asked me and saved the trouble. What kind of alchemy do you do anyway?"

Just then, Edward heard Alphonse scream. It made him jump to his feet and forget about everything else. Al was in trouble. The scream sounded again and chills ran down Ed's spine. He took off down the hallway, trying to find his little brother. Adelina Rose followed as quickly as she could.

They ran down the corridor, shouting Al's name. No more screams. No more noise. The hall was deathly silent. The hallway then had two choices; left or right. Ed chose left, trying to keep calm. Al was alright. Al was alright. He sprinted down the hall, turning awkwardly. Ed fell, an excruciating pain emitting from his ankle. He clutched his ankle, and then looked up. The hallway was spattered with crimson blood.

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-.-;

I'm sorry that I haven't posted a new chapter in a while. You guys, afterall, did keep your promise. No threats this chapter, just please **REVIEW**!


	6. Beauty and the Beast

"Al! Al!" Ed screamed into the darkness of the echoing halls.

"Ed, please don't move. You're hurt," breathed Adelina Rose.

"Al could be dead for all I know, and you want me to worry over a stupid sprained ankle!" He tried standing, but fell down again, his ankle unable to hold his weight.

"Dammit!" he began to crawl down the hallway on his hands and knees.

"You can't help Al if you're hurt, Ed! Please, let me find him." Adelina smiled softly to Edward.

Ed stopped for a moment. "I... I can't let you do that! He's my little brother!"

"Then you leave me no choice." Adelina backhanded Ed hard in his head, knocking him out. She bent down and whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry, Edward. I couldn't let you get killed." Then she stood and sprinted down the dark hallway.

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Some blurry shapes hovered above, obscuring the light. It took a second for Edward to realize that he was still lying in the corridor. Adelina Rose had knocked him out. Damn. Al...

"Mr. Edward, sir! Are you alright? It looks like you took quite a beating to the head."

Slowly, Ed's vision cleared. He saw Fuery standing over him, a concerned expression on his face. Ed groaned and tried to sit up. Fuery pushed him back down.

"I think your ankle's broken, Ed. You should just take it easy. And besides,-."

"Al! Damn! Adelina Rose, she..."

Fuery motioned to someone beyond Ed's line of vision. They came around and knelt down beside him, examining his head. After he was satisfied, he questioned Ed about his ankle. Like 'does it hurt here? Can you stand on it?' A paramedic.

"I think his head's okay. Now I'm more worried about his ankle. We could bring a stretcher down, or you could carry him up to the medical wing. Whatever's easier for you." The paramedic was talking to Fuery.

Fuery sighed out of relief. "That's good that he's not badly injured. I thought from the blood all over the walls..."

"Yeah. At first I was startled too. But then I-."

"Al! I'm coming!" Ed had stood up, using the wall for support and began stumbling down hall. Fuery and the paramedic turned to grab him, but Edward transmuted the wall in their path. He had blocked the corridor from behind him so nobody would be able to stop him.

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Padding carefully down the hall, Adelina Rose smelled for blood. The same blood, which had been shed where Ed hurt his ankle, was making a trail down into the unknowns of the abandoned Central east wing, lower level.

Every now and then, she would pick up faint traces of a human, as if it had been washed over to be covered. The lighting only got worse, the farther she went. It dimmed, more and more out of repair. The wall was crumbly, unpainted cement. It matched the floor, looking more like a bunker than a military head quarters.

She had noticed that the end of the hallway wasn't even in sight. Was it the lighting, or was there no end?

Adelina Rose picked up a strong scent of blood inside of the wall to her left. She pressed her nose against it and met the nasty smell of decay and mold. The moldy smell was too strong to check for blood. So Adelina Rose did it the old fashioned alchemist way. She drew an array and transmuted a door.

Her trepidation of what was on the other side was replaced by doubts that there was another side. A stench of decay that strong had to have deep roots. With a room behind it, the smell wouldn't be as pungent.

Deciding it was worth a try, Adelina Rose pushed the door, it creaking on its cement hinges. The room was vast, stretching itself the whole length of the corridor. It was hidden behind the cement wall, however, and didn't appear to have any doors. The only way in was with alchemy.

And as one can imagine, a room without window or doors gets dark, damp, and musty. The room had a stuffy feeling, a feeling that crept up through your nose and made you cough. The air was so thick, it felt like you were breathing in saw dust.

The room did contain two lamps, so it was not completely dark. One lamp sat on a rickety wooden table, near the middle of the room. The other lamp stood by a chair. The chair was located by a tall wooden bookshelf. A reading corner.

The floor, unlike the hallway, was made of cobblestone and the walls were made of brick. All except the wall that was separating the room from the corridor.

It had a certain air of nobility about it. But it seemed to have faded over time and though decay. But it still had a mysterious quality; it made you want to walk in further and explore its vast empty space.

But as Adelina Rose walked into the chamber, she noticed another thing about it. There was a huddled form not three yards from where she was standing. It was hard to make out, the lights few and dim. She crept closer to it, turning her face away at the strong smell of blood. This was the scent she had been following. This person's blood.

Adelina Rose stood right over the figure. She could tell it was a guy, and he was wrapped in a towel. Shivering. She bent over to glimpse his face. Every so carefully, she turned his head to gaze upon him. Adelina Rose peered at the person, and nearly screamed.

"C... Callum?"

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Edward continued limping down the hall, going down the hall Adelina Rose had tread. There was only one corridor, with no tuns or twists, so it made following easier. He walked, his breath ragged from yelling, his eyes stinging from salty tears. His ankle throbbing more and more every time he stepped on it. Even with the wall's support.

It was slow progress he made, but he wasn't hindered by anyone. Ed sought for Al. That was his mission. No one would get in his way. Not the military, not the homunculi, not Adelina Rose. Not even Equivalent Exchange.

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The boy lay on his side, rolled up into a ball. He had a white sheet covering him, which was quickly being colored red with blood. His face was contorted, as though it were in pain. But his facial expressions were soft, his lips large and red, a few freckles dotting his cheeks, and his eye lashes long and fluttering. His tawny hair rested lop-sided on his forehead, framing his face.

Even though the room was dark, hardly lit, Adelina Rose could tell this was her little brother. This was Callum. She knelt down beside him and brought his limp form into her arms, petting his hair. She whispered to him, "I've got you now, Callum. You're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

The boy winced and managed to open his eyes. He coughed and sputtered, as though he had never breathed before. After breathing hard for a few seconds, the boy looked at Adelina Rose and said, "Wha... What are you talking about? I'm... Al."

Adelina Rose nearly dropped him out of shock. This boy looked exactly like Callum. His voice was the same, and his scent was identical. There was no mistaking it. This was Callum. She petted his head again, shushing him. "It's okay. I'll take care of everything, Callum. Just close your eyes; rest."

The boy shook his head, but fatigue took him and soon he slept. Adelina Rose became worried about the blood. But, she smelled no fresh blood. It was all at least a half-hour old. She scratched her head in confusion, wondering aloud, "Only a fatal blow would make this much blood. But apparently, he stopped bleeding right away, and he's perfectly fine. He's not even pale."

"I see you've found my boy." The voice was female, beautiful, coming out airy. It didn't sound natural.

Adelina Rose changed into a Sphinx, tossing the boy onto her back. She prepared to run from the danger that lurked in the shadows of the room. A female figure strode from a corner. Adelina Rose cursed herself for not smelling the rotting scent coming from this figure before.

"You won't be taking my son anywhere," the woman said.

She was gorgeous. Her body was flawless, her eyes bright and yet dark at the same time. She wore a tight fitted black dress that matched her black hair. She had a strange marking on her chest. Adelina Rose had read about it before. The orobourous. The orobourous was a symbol of the cycle of life in the form of a dragon that ate its own tail, constantly eating it. But as fast as the orobourous could eat its tail, the tail would grow again. This was always tattooed on homunculi.

"You're a soulless homunculus. You could never have a son. And besides, you look nothing like my mother," Adelina Rose spat.

"You aren't my child. Why would I look like your mother?" the homunculus toyed.

"Because Callum's my brother!"

"Callum? This is Alphonse Elric. He is my son, not your brother."

Adelina Rose stuttered. "B...But I... I was sure that... he..."

"Was him?"

"... You're lying! This is my brother! His name is Callum!"

The homunculus changed before Adelina Rose's eyes. She became liquid-like, keeping her form, but... just like the red water. Peter, Adelina Rose's brother, had brought home a small vial of it for her. He had told her it was a vital alchemic ingredient. Then he had shattered the vial and told her to watch what happened to the liquid. She had watched in fascination as it became solid. She poked it to find it flexible and squishy. But not at all like the earlier liquid form.

Only later did she learn what the 'vital ingredient' was and what it was made of. The truth burned through the happy oblivion of lies her brother had bestowed upon her. She did not know when he had gone insane, or she would have helped him. But Adelina Rose was disgusted with Peter for even letting her lay eyes on the vial stuff. It made her sick to even to see a substance like the red water.

Adelina Rose extended her claws fully, a ripple of excitement running down her withers. She always became anxious just before a fight. The homunculus shot a jet-stream of water at Adelina Rose, who dodged it, leaping from the reading chair tot he bookcase. From there she took a flying leap to attack he homunculus, who quickly dodged.

The boy on Adelina Rose's back nearly slided off, so she ran behind the shelter of the bookcase and dropped him off. Very reluctantly. Then, she popped around the other side and changed into a full lion, ignoring the feeling of having her limbs torn.

"That's a special talent," laughed the homunculus. "I don't believe I've told you my name."

Adelina Rose roared and slashed at the homunculus, almost tearing the liquid into two. She merely chuckled. "It's Sloth, if you care. All I want is my boy, little kitten. Run off and go play."

The liquid turned back into its human appearance. She had a smug smile on her face. But at the same time, it was mysterious. It was a lot like Edward's. Adelina Rose pounced again leaping for the head, her jaws wide open.

Suddenly, the door that Adelina Rose had made earlier, was flung open. Edward was leaning on it, panting. He looked to see his mother's head about to be torn off by a lion. The lion was Adelina Rose. It didn't take Edward long to react. It was instinct. He clapped his hands and slammed them on the ground, creating a wall in front of the lion. Adelina Rose smashed into it with such force that half of it cracked and fell on top of her. A terrible howl of pain arose from under the rubble.

Edward shook his head. What had he just done? "Adelina... Rose... are you... alright..?"

No response came from the rubble. A great chocking feeling came up Edward's throat. He had these all the time. But mostly, he was able to suppress them. This time, he wasn't. He began to cry, coughing like a machine out of use. Then he remembered his mother.

Edward turned to look at the woman who looked so much like his mother. She was exactly the same. He hesitated, then uttered, "Mom?"

She kneeled down for him, opening her arms like she wanted to embrace him. Edward ran to her, hugging her and crying, explaining everything that happened to him along the way. About the state alchemy exam, Mustang, the philosopher's stone, and about the homunculi. Edward had been so eager to see her again, he hadn't noticed the oroborous tatooed on her chest. Or the red lines along her skin. He had just noticed _Mom_.

Sloth turned one arm into liquid as discreetly as she could. Then, with a quick jerk, she shoved it down Edward's mouth. She had tried to make knocking him out as painless as possible. Even though she despised them, she loved them. Sloth cursed her motherly side. She felt Ed go limp and removed her arm from his mouth, slinging him across her shoulder like a rag-doll.

Just then, the rubble moved, and Adelina Rose (in human form) stepped out, with gritted teeth. Her eyes were filled with hatred for Sloth. Her body looked beat-up, but she had survived without major injury.

Pushing a large slab of concrete away, as though it were nothing, she straightened up. "Let-him-go," she snarled.

"I'm so sorry dear, but I need this child. And I'll be taking the little one too."

"No you won't!" screamed Adelina Rose. She darted to where the boy lay and picked him up in her arms. She held him defensively, ready to do almost anything to save him.

Sloth placed Edward on the floor and attacked Adelina Rose with such speed that the girl hadn't had any time to prepare a defense. Sloth had jabbed Adelina Rose in the stomach with such ferocity that her hand went into it, being greeted by a spurt of blood.

Adelina Rose dropped the boy, leaning on Sloth's hand in shock. _I have failed Callum again. That creature will take him away. I have failed Callum. Failed. Failed. Failed..._ And then she blacked out.

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**PLEASE READ MY PATHETIC AUTHOR'S NOTES!**

Poor delusional Adelina Rose. Tsk, tsk. I tease her very much, do I not?

I was very unhappy with the last review turn outs. I make a frowny face now:o(

See! You made me sad because you didn't review. Do you want to make me sader? Or make me cough _stop writing? _Because I GOT THE POWER! starts dancing

Just review, okay? It makes this one very happy.


	7. Escape from the Military

Disclaimer: I own nothing. That goes for all my chapters in case I forgot the disclaimer once...

Hello! You know what I would like even more than a review? Fanart! I'm very envious of _Henrika_! She has fanart! Help me out guys! I can't draw for beans!

Oh yeah! From now on, if you see a number (1,2,3)you have to scroll down to the bottom to read the side note, okay? If you guys don't like that, just put it in your review and I'll change it back.

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Adelina Rose fluttered her eye lashes, a bright light streaming through to her eyes. She sat up with a start to find she was in a hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown. Her bed was facing a large window, the source of the light.

Looking around, she saw two other beds in the room, both to her right. The one to her immediate right was empty and the far right one had a young woman sleeping peacefully in it.

The rest of the room was white; white walls, white floor, white sheets, white pillows, white curtains, white night stands. It gave her an eerie germaphobic feeling. Like the room was too sterile.

Carefully, Adelina Rose crept from her bed, wincing at the sharp pain in her stomach. She gazed down and was reminded of her wound from Sloth, the homunculus. And then she remembered that Sloth had taken Callum! She had finally gotten her brother back, and now he was gone! Callum had only been in her arms for a few minutes.

Clutching her stomach, Adelina Rose staggered out of the room, pushing the sterile white door open, and nearly collapsing. She hadn't expected the door to swing open that easily. Leaning on the wall, Adelina Rose managed to right herself, strainging her neck to look about her.

She was at a cross section in the hallway. The hall went forwards and left. Nobody passed her, which was just as well because a doctor would surely make her go back to bed. Biting her lip in aggitation, Adelina Rose chose to go forward, trying to remain stealthy. That was a very difficult task considering her injury and her limited knowledge of the building.

Seeing a shadow around the corner, Adelina Rose ducked behind a waste basket. A doctor in a green uniform passed. He was fiddling with a shiny stethoscope, tapping it and winding it around his fingers. He seemed nervous. Passing by Adelina Rose, he did not notice her. She sighed out of relief.

Checking to make sure the coast was clear, Adelina Rose lifted herself slowly and walked around the corner, taking a right. She could hear two people talking, heading her way. She sought for a hiding place, and seeing none, began to panic.

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Lieutenant Maria Ross rounded the corner jabbering to Denny Brosh. She was talking about some important document or another, stating and restating how unnecessary it was for the developement of the government. Brosh yawned.

Looking up, he saw an odd looking girl in a hospital gown gaping at them. She began glancing around, her gaze darting everywhere. She was about to turn and run the opposite direction, when Brosh called out, "Excuse me, miss? Can... can I help you?"

Ross looked up at the girl too, noticing her for the first time. She had been so absorbed about what she had been babbling about, she doubted that she would have noticed the girl standing there, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

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An evil idea crossed Adelina Rose's mind as she stood staring at the two officers in front of her. It was possibly her ticket out of the hospital so that she could search for Callum. But she was wounded and it would be difficult to pull off... Oh well. More of a challenge.

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Edward mumbled, semi-conscious. He couldn't understand why he was sleeping. He had just found his mother, and now he was unconscious. It didn't make sense. Edward's mind drifted to Al. His memory was a little bit foggy, but he could have sworn that there was something he had to do. Something urgent that had to do with his little brother. He shrugged it away. It was probably nothing. Right now, Edward was too comfortable, snuggling up in something soft, feeling warm inside.

Time passed without measurement. Edward's thoughts were fleeting and he could not recall many things, least of all the date. But he woke from his semi-conscious state to someone gently shaking his shoulders. His eyelids gradually opened, revealing dull golden eyes beneath. He felt tired, and the person who had awoken him had a hazy outline. A feminine voice cooed, "Good morning, sleepy-head."

Edward's eyes closed and he mumbled, "...Good morning..."

He became a little more aware and felt he was lying on something soft. A bed or couch, perhaps? He felt someone sit down next to him. He could vaguely tell they were gazing at him. The woman's voice purred again. "How are you feeling?"

The boy struggled to stay aware now. Something seemed very wrong, but he was too groggy to know. He opened his eyes and focused on the figure sitting by him. Light was opposite her, so he could only see her silhouette, which revealed how perfect her body was. He also could see long, straight hair, ending near her torso.

"Come on, baby," she said softly, with a mother's tone. "How are you feeling."

Edward shook his head and tried sitting up, only to fall back over with a dizzy spell. He groaned and managed to mutter, "Awful. But yet peaceful."

"What do you mean, hon? Please tell me."

The voice seemed innocent enough, comforting, and somehow, familiar. He saw no reason to not answer. "My body is relaxed," he started. "I feel very rested. But I have no will to move. I feel rested, but my energy is drained. I feel... I feel... lazy."

"You feel... Sloth?" the woman queried sinlessly.

That word was also familiar. Why wouldn't his damn mind work. Something was going down, Edward was sure. But he couldn't focus enough. He growled, "What's wrong with me? Am I drugged or something?"

"Shhh, baby. You'll wake your brother up. You must be quiet now," the woman quickly soothed.

"B-brother! Al? Where's Al!" Edward sat up with difficulty, using his hands to hold himself up. He gazed at the woman, her face still hidden by the oncoming light.

She laughed a little, not unkindly. "He's lying right beside you. I though you two would like to share a room. Oh, yes; I almost forgot. You will find something very different about him. Now lie back and rest."

Edward felt himself weighed down again. He tried to scream, but his voice was choked, as though his throat was filled with an alien substance. Before losing consciousness again, Ed flipped over to face away from the window. The warm, soft thing he had felt before was a body. The face wasn't towards him, but Edward could tell from behind. It was his brother... in the flesh...

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Pulling tight the smart black belt and adjusting buckle, the stolen uniform was complete. Adelina Rose had knocked out two officers and stolen one of there uniforms. She had gone for the male officer out first because he had a radio that could communicate for help, and then she had gone for the female officer, with a bit of difficulty. The female officer was ready for an attack by the time Adelina Rose was upon her and put up a bit of a fight. But it was only a matter of minutes before she too was on the ground unconscious with her partner.

Dragging the two dead weights to a safe spot had been more of a problem than the actual process of making them dead weights. There was really nowhere to hide. And Adelina Rose worried that one of the two would wake up at any moment and sound the alarm. In retrospect, her brilliant plan was quite flawed, but she still saw it as the only way.

Luckily, Adelina Rose had stumbled upon a broom closet, pulled the two bodies in, and closed the door just before a nurse had passed by.

The uniform had come from the female officer, Lieutenant Maria Ross, the name Adelina Rose picked up from the name tag. But the girl was decent enough to leave the officer in her blouse and her tight fitted pants, which were for keeping sweat from her outer uniform. All that Adelina Roe wanted was the jacket, the name tag, the pants, the belt. And the hat, which she had had to take from the male officer. Adelina Rose hadn't bothered with his name. It probably wasn't important.

Silently opening the door, celebrating the well-oiled hinges, Adelina Rose stepped back out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her with care. Then she clapped her hands and reconstructed the lock so that there was no way out or in. The door would have to be broken down. That would give her even more time to escape.

For some strange reason, wearing the uniform, even though it was stolen, made the girl feel proud. She straightened her back and held her head high, the hat nearly falling off. It was too large for her head, and probably looked lop-sided, but every other officer she had seen, besides Ross, had housed one. So without it, her disguise would have been incomplete.

Adelina Rose marched down the hall with long strides, the pain in her stomach lessening with each step. She felt a sense of accomplishment; such a petty feeling in such a time of peril. Suppressing her good feelings, Adelina Rose focused on the tasks at hand. First task: finding Callum and retrieving him. Second task: finding Edward and possibly retrieving or helping him. Third task: eliminate all threats to Callum, primarily the homunculus Sloth. After all her top priorities were completed to standard, she could relax again and enjoy life. But her heart would not allow it as long as Callum was out of her reach.

Callum was supposed to be dead, Adelina Rose realized that. And she had accepted it after also realizing that he had gotten to live a full life. But now that he was alive again, she had to protect him and ensure his safety until he passed away. And Adelina Rose assumed his death would be before hers taking in the fact that she was several thousand years old and had not died once yet.

No one had yet stopped the girl or asked for identification, which was a relief, because Adelina Rose had no more identification than the already apparent name tag clipped to the blue jacket's chest. After some time of walking, the hall was became more and more crowded, and soon she was in a mob of people, all heading different directions. _I must be near the lobby._

The front desk and entrance/exit came into view and Adelina Rose sighed with relief. She had made it wandering through the halls of the military's hospital(1) unnoticed.

Adelina Rose played with her sleeves nervously as she exited the building. It wasn't over yet. Someone could still notice. It was unlikely, but-.

"Oh! Excuse me, I haven't seen you here before. Did you just get out of military training?" came a cheery male voice from behind her.

Thinking quickly, Adelina Rose tore the 'Lieutenant Maria Ross' name tag from her shirt and hid it in her clenched hand Hoping the man hadn't noticed, she turned and tried to smile and act natural. But she kept thinking, _He knows! He knows! He knows!_

The man who had confronted her was about her height. He had black hair that almost appeared green. On his nose sat a pair of glasses. Quickly scanning his name tag, Adelina Rose read 'Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes'.

"Are you okay?" he asked waving his hand in front of her face.

"F-fine," Adelina Rose quickly responded. It came out forced and sounded very awkward.

"Well, like I said before, I haven't seen you here before. My name is Maes Hughes." He reached to shake her hand.

_Should I give my real name or not?_ "I'm Ensign Margot Tarren. I... I'm only staying here for a week. To inspect." Adelina Rose shook his hand.

"Normally Ensigns don't do inspection on the military head quarters, Miss Tarren. And can I ask you what hotel you're staying at?"

Adelina Rose stuttered. "... Lieutenant Hughes! I'm sure you could be court-marshaled for such insubordinance!"

"Not intending to be rude, Miss Tarren. I just don't believe you. Why don't you come with me and we'll confirm all of your information. This way."

Hughes started walking away from the lobby and Adelina Rose followed. She memorized the route they took through the halls so she could make a quick get-away.

Now that Adelina Rose was not on the look out, she could think back to the previous events. And some things puzzled her. Like:

_How did the homunculus get into the room without using alchemy? Homunculi cannot use alchemy._

_Where had the homunculus taken Callum and Edward? Any exit other than the one leading through the military would have required alchemy. So, the homunculus had to have passed through the bustling main of Central Military Head Quarters, carrying two unconscious boys, unnoticed. _

_And who was the man who knew her secret? Had I heard the men ocrrectly? Was it really the Fuehrer?_

Carefully, Adelina Rose analyzed the questions, using all of her alchemy knowledge, common sense, and knowledge on the previous events to bring about a conclusion or a pre-conclusion.

_How did the homunculus get into the room without using alchemy?_

_It had a human accomplice._

_Where had the homunculus taken Callum and Edward?_

_They couldn't have gone far unnoticed, even with an accomplice to help. They must still be somewhere in Central HQ. Or they could have fleed depending on the amount of time I was out._

_Who is the man who knows my secret?_

_Definitely the Fuehrer. But how he found it is another question._

The situation was more serious than previously thought. The fact that the homunculus needed human captives and could not use their own human accomplices meant the feat they wanted was too dangerous or two complicated.

In worry, Adelina Rose wrung her hands, wrapping them together s tightly that they turned white. Edward and Callum were in mortal danger, most likely. And Adelina Rose was just walking around the hospital, doing nothing to help.

Anger boiled in her, as she followed the man. She was going to get caught anyway? Why couldn't she just kill him and run? Because she was different now. She was in control. She would never kill again, unless she absolutely needed to.

Determining that knocking the man out was the best solution, she made a quick grab for the gun residing in its holster on his black belt. He turned to face her just as she prepared to strike. Making a quick move, he jumped away from the blow. The man smirked. "I don't think you're going to shoot me."

Adelina Rose had the gun pointed at the man's head, the safety off, and her hand on the trigger. It was very simple. Just a little tug and she could end this man's life. A tear streamed down her cheek as shee lowered the gun. "You're right. I'm not brave enough."

Hughes smiled evilly and began to change before her eyes, his skin peeling like old wall paper. The voice changed as he said, "You should have pulled it, chimera. Now you've lost your chance. A chance to kill a homunculus."

The man finished changing and now had the appearance of teenage boy, whose green hair sprouted wildly from his head, kept out of his face by a band around his forehead. He had a tight fitting black top on and had a skirt-like bottom. His smirk was just like Edward's. Only it felt sinister.

Adelina Rose dropped the gun and tried backing away, terrified. The homunculus(2) advanced. He bent over and gathered the gun. Getting really close to Adelina Roses's ear, he whispered, "I would love to kill you. But my orders are to take you alive."

The homunculus raised the weapon and brought it down, thinking it had won. Adelina Rose grinned. _Just as I planned. _And then the gun made contact.

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(1)she assumed it was the military hospital due to the fact that military personnel were walking about it

(2)she could tell from the orobourus tatoo

Well, let me know how thenumber system works! -

Again, fanart would be AWESOME! Reviews are AWESOME too, but fanart would be AWESOMER! Just know that if you make me fanart, you make my day. How about that. And if someone makes me fanart, I makesmileyface. Okay?

PLEASE R&R!


	8. The Memoir

It has been a... month since updating? But I _have _practiced my writing. So I hope to have improved over the long course of time. I dare not ask for fanart. I hardly utter a word of desire for reviews. Alas, I have a fervent yearning for approval, so any comments would be appreciated. See? I have improved.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"That's silly, Peter," a squeaky voice scoffed. "Water is the most basic of all of everything!"

"That's not even a proper sentence!" said a young man. He meant to correct her harshly; his father had left both his younger brother and sister in his care during his absence. But he could not scold his little sister without laughing to lighten the mood. Her deep blue eyes always shivered and threatened to overflow with tears. And it was not his wish to make her cry. "It can be broken down."

"No it can't! I've tried breaking it and it won't!" she growled defiantly, her brow furrowing.

"I assure you it does, Adelina. Water is composed of two molecules of hydrogen and one of oxygen. But it can only be broken down chemically."

"Liar, liar pants on fire!" Suddenly Adelina stood, knocking her stool over. She quickly snatched the book that was resting on the coffee table and raced away, giggling. Knowing her brother would give chase, she ran through numerous long corridors, narrow passages, and eventually came to her best hiding spot: the creepy, icky basement. There were cobwebs coating the entrance where she had just brushed them away the day past. The single bulb illuminating a green sludge that was caked on the wall beside her. It released a sigh and a cloud of green spores drifted towards her.

Adelina screamed and dropped the heavy book. She listened to it clunk down the stairs, landing with a sickening splash. Evidently, there was a leak in the basement.

Taking a nervous step down, she stretched her foot as far as it would go so that the rest of her body didn't have to move. The stair was too far. It had been built for grown-ups. And that had always deterred Adelina from venturing into the decaying depths of the cellar. But the lost book provoked her to release the railing, and take a full step. Accompanying the horrendous groan were the quick thud of footsteps outside the door.

Not wanting to lose the game, Adelina took a hurried succession of steps, finally sliding down the last few steps. At the base of the steps was a giant puddle that looked perfect for splashing in. Except that the large tome was sitting, open, pages in the mud. _Elementary Elements _had explained its last compound.

Adelina ventured into the mud, practically doing the splits to reach the book. Her dress was stained, and Peter was no good at laundry. She had permanently ruined her dress. Not for the first time, she wished her mother were still alive. Her smell had almost completely left the house.

Finally, the volume was in her clutches, victory in sight. Trying to pull her foot out of the muck, she realized to her horror that her shoe was stuck in the mud. A grotesque sucking noise, and then... _sploosh!_ Adelina went tumbling into the mire.

She cried out piteously, not caring about the game, or the book, or her dress. She wanted her mother. "Mommy! Mommy! Peter!"

When the elder brother at last located his baby sister, he hurriedly pulled her out, rocking her in his arms, patting her back, and repeatedly telling her it was okay. "Why don't I take you upstairs and run and get some water? I'll put some more coals under the tub so that it's extra warm. Then you can clean up."

She nodded meekly, her thumb somehow finding its way through her browned face and straight into her mouth. Adelina had outgrown the habit several years ago, but had picked it up again, along with her little brother, Callum, when her father left.

As Peter turned to go back up the stairs, he realized her had never been in here before. Why was that? It was his father's study, that was not for nosy children, as the old man himself had put it. But the young, finely-clad scholar could find no reason as to why the man had wanted to work in this horrid place. It was moldy. It was musty. It was dreadfully damp and dusty. The bricks oozed slime and fungus, and the walls had graffiti all over. Not a desk to be found!

But then, a leather-bound journal, so well-kept and nice that it didn't seem to belong. Taking a few careful steps (especially to avoid afore said puddle), Peter bent and picked it up, Adelina silently clinging to him like a monkey.

There was no title on the cover. Just a number: 5. Peter peeled the cover back and glared at the title page, not expecting what he found:

_Happy Birthday Daddy. I love you. From Peter._

Suddenly, Peter recognized the journal: he had given it to his father on his birthday, before Adelina Rose, or Callum, or the death of their mother. Or anything bad. His mother had helped him with the spelling. Before she became ill, she used to do all sorts of fun stuff with him. She had helped him hand-make every single page in the book. Then, they had taken the paper to a book binder and selected a very handsome leather for the cover. After Peter had given it to his father, he had never seen it again. Until now. And the 5 hadn't previously been there. It was scratched into the leather, ruining the entire image of the book.

Now, curiosity wracked Peter and he set Adelina down, almost roughly. Tearing past the title page, he came to the crinkling table of contents. How like his father to even organize a journal. The first topic: Chimera. Second: Human-Chimera. Third: Control. Fourth: Red Water. Fifth: Purification. Sixth: Combination. Seventh: Utilization. Eighth: The Gate. Ninth: Human Transmutation.

Before Peter could read on, he felt tiny hands tugging at his hair. He snapped his head up, realizing that he was huddled over with the book in his hands, completely ignoring his sister.

"Peter... did you forget me?" Adelina sounded hurt.

Peter hoisted the little girl onto his hip. "Never. I was just practice-reading a bed-time story for you."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yes. Have you ever heard the story of the three little pigs?" Peter asked, teasingly.

The girl hissed in his ear, tickling it and making him laugh. "Of course I've heard of the three little pigs!"

"Well, in my story, there was one named Callum, one named Peter, and one named..."

"Adelina!"

"That's right! How could I forget that name!" He started his ascent up the stairs, pocketing the journal and letting it slip from his mind. The prospect of bath time and story time would excite the children enough so that he would be busy for at least the next three hours.

Once the twosome were out of the icky, creepy, basement, Adelina demanded that she be released so that she could go spread the good news to Callum. Peter assented, unhanding the little girl, shouting after her flying pigtails that she was not to track mud on the ancient Drachman rug. But, he knew that no matter what he said, that ancient rug was no more valuable than the old carpet out in the play house. Thus, the colorful designs would be joined by some not so colorful ones.

Peter deterred from his course up the double stone archway that led to the bathroom, instead setting course for the front door. He was going to get water for the tub.

His mother, even his father, would have been horrified with the fact that Peter left the water bucket right by the front door. They would also be horrified that their mansion was in such ruin and disrepair. What would guests, solicitors, and vagabonds have thought as they entered? Why, this house is so unkempt! I think I shall never come here again! What was on sixteen year old boy to do with two young kids on his hands, bills to pay, and no help from any neighbors. However, the estate was so large that the next door neighbors were at least a good ten minute walk from the house, so blame was not necessarily heaped onto their shoulders.

Grabbing the cool metal handle, Peter took a long stride and grasped the handle to the front door, just as the dull echo of the knocker announced a visitor. Immediately, Peter set the bucket down and opened the front door, aware that the event of two young children streaking across the foyer was a distinct possibility. The fact that hardly anyone swung by for a conversation was reason enough for them to be ecstatic for company. But this was an especially anxious time, because the old post master himself had promised that any word of their father would be delivered the moment it reached the office.

And to Peter's elation, the post master, in all his blue-uniformed glory, was standing there, a yellow envelope in his pudgy hand.

Right on cue, two soggy children dashed across the room, skidding to a halt by the door, breathless and, to Peter's own embarrassment, unabashed. Luckily, each had a towel hanging around their shoulders. Callum grabbed Peter's hand and said, "Is Daddy coming home? He is, isn't he?"

Peter looked up at the old postmaster, his eyes shining with hope. But from the man's expression, stance, and (Peter just noticed) the color of the envelope, his father wasn't coming home. His father was dead.

"Why don't I come in," the man said gently, pushing Peter back. Peter had stiffened, his face contorted from the restraint of his tears.

Looking at the children, he said, "Go to bed."

"But Peter, we want to hear about Daddy too!"

"And the story! What about the three little pigs?"

"I said go to bed!" The boy's face was hidden by his blond hair, a hand pointing the way the children had just come.

"I hate you! I hate you! I just want Daddy home and you're keeping him to yourself!" Adelina Rose screamed, tearing down the hall. Callum quickly followed suit.

"You can have him," muttered Peter. "All he did was abandon us."

"It's okay son," the postmaster responded. "You know it's not his fault. He would abandon such good kids as you. He loved you very much."

Peter burst into tears, accepting the old postmaster's shoulder to cry on. "I know he loved me! I just wish he didn't! It hurts too much!"

"Come on, let's sit down. Let's talk."

"No! Please, leave." Peter pulled away from the embrace, now his eyes blazing with anger. He took a menacing step towards the old postmaster.

The old man stumbled back. "Peter, please. Let's talk."

"No! I don't want to talk to anyone! I just want to be left alone!"

With one more step, Peter had forced the old man out the door, which had been promptly slammed behind him, two bolts clicking into place.

Peter stepped backwards and fell onto his butt, sobbing into his knees. He had nothing of is father left. Nothing. Except the mansion. But it was just an empty void. Nothing without his mother and father.

Then something clicked. Reaching a tear-stained hand uncertainly into his deep wool-jacket pocket, he relinquished a handsome leather-bound book. The journal that he had just found in the basement.

Peter leafed through it again, pausing over Human Transmutation. His father had chosen to abandon him in one lifetime. Perhaps, given another, his choices would be better founded. Peter's neck hair rose on end, goose bumps coating his arms. Certainly, everyone deserves a second chance.

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Please review!!! I stayed up late on this one! -


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